


The Insomnian Academy for the Elite

by HardNoctLife



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ardyn Izunia Being Ardyn Izunia, Ardyn Izunia is a Jerk, Bisexual Character, Bisexuality, Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Bullying, Cinnamon Roll Prompto Argentum, Coming Out, Crossover, Drunken Kissing, Explicit Language, F/M, Gay, Gay Character, Gay Noctis Lucis Caelum, Gen, Gladnis, High School, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Manipulative Ardyn Izunia, Multi, Poor Prompto Argentum, Pre-Final Fantasy XV, Promptis - Freeform, References to Depression, Sad with a Happy Ending, Slow Burn, Suicide Attempt, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama, Teenagers, Verstael Besithia is an asshole, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 16:26:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 67,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18608218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HardNoctLife/pseuds/HardNoctLife
Summary: **01.26.2020 - This fic is undergoing a major facelift and will be posted as a new fic as chapters are edited!**Prompto Argentum knows he's an outsider. Thrown into the Insomnian Academy for the Elite at a young age due to his father's suspicious relationship with the school's headmaster, the now freshman plans to keep his head down until he is able to graduate and move far, far away. He's managed to stay comfortably under the radar most of his life, but all of that changes when the prince of Insomnia, Noctis Lucis Caelum, is enrolled in the middle of Prompto's spring semester. Thrust together under unusual circumstances, Prompto is forced to try and help Prince Noctis or risk his own future plans of escaping his father's expectations.What starts out as normal high school drama quickly escalates, as Prompto realizes he is in way over his head. With more than just his post-graduation plans on the line, Prompto must decide whether to step out of his comfort zone and reclaim his life or continue living as he always has.





	1. Royal Pains

**Author's Note:**

> This is a high school AU fanfiction focusing on the main protagonists of FFXV. Look out for the many Final Fantasy cameos along the way! Thank you to my friend Claudia for being the first to read every chapter, and to my friend Kara for helping me when I hit writer's block at chapter six and encouraged me to keep going. Last, but never least, a special thank you to my wife, Michelle, who edits and proof reads all of my work and supports me in all my crazy endeavors.
> 
> Find the complete soundtrack on Spotify titled "Insomnian Academy for the Elite."
> 
> **Don’t be shy! I respond to all comments and welcome any fanart. Hit me up for art exchanges on tumblr @hard-noct-life**

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto Argentum attends the Insomnian Academy for the Elite even though he is a lowly Niflheim refugee. He's managed to stay under the radar most of his life-- until Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum of Insomnia becomes his classmate.

I remember the first day I saw him. He stopped in the middle of the classroom doorway, shoulders squared as if to carry the world, eyes the color of storm clouds. I had noticed that his shirt was untucked in the front, most likely deliberate from the way his gaze cut across the room daring anyone to comment. No one would be bold enough to mention it to the crown prince of Lucis, and he knew it. Pulling his tie to loosen it with one hand, he slung his briefcase over his shoulder with the other, and I swallowed the breath I had been holding. He never looked at me—and why should he? Of all the people in the classroom I was the lowest of the low, a commoner, and those around me would never let me forget it.

Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum entered with the confidence of royalty and was heading straight for the back of the class when our teacher said sweetly: “Mr. Caelum, there is a seat up here for you.” He paused, looking to her as if he were surprised she had spoken at all. To him she might as well have been the same as the desk she sat behind: lifeless and unassuming. Much to my horror, I suddenly realized she was indicating the seat beside me, which had remained deliberately open for the entirety of the semester. I could feel the eyes of my peers digging into the back of my blonde head with such ferocity that it was almost painful.

There were murmurs as he finally obeyed and plopped into the chair, thumping the briefcase on the desk in obvious disapproval. I dared to look over and was struck by how perfect his facial features were, from his clear skin to the midnight hues of his unkempt hair. In spite of his intentional “I don’t care” appearance, he was quite striking, and I was certain I’d gain double the animosity of my female classmates overnight for merely being found in his immediate orbit. I sank lower in my chair, wishing I could disappear, and already dreading the remainder of the day.

For the rest of the class period I listened to Miss Gainsborough lecture about magic and the different elemental properties found in the worlds, but only half-heartedly. I couldn’t keep myself from watching the new student in my peripheral vision. He never opened his briefcase, instead sitting with his arms folded over his chest as he leaned back in his chair, clearly unhappy to be there. I had to give our teacher credit, she never once looked at him or paused to acknowledge his hostile behavior, and so, the class went on without interruption.

It wasn’t until the bell rang and students got to their feet that Miss Gainsborough turned her attention to Prince Noctis. “Mr. Caelum, could I speak to you for a minute?” I took longer than usual to gather my notes and writing utensils, straining to overhear as Noctis reluctantly approached her desk.  “I noticed you weren’t able to take notes today. We will be having a test next week, so I hope these will be of use to you,” she explained before pulling a packet from her desk drawer and handing it to him. He didn’t move immediately to take it, and she smiled disarmingly, emerald eyes bright in the fluorescent lighting of the classroom. Seeing that she wasn’t going to rescind her offer, he eventually grabbed the papers and shoved them into the outside pocket of his briefcase.

“Thanks,” he muttered unenthusiastically. When he turned to leave, our eyes met. I quickly averted my gaze downward, focusing on my pencil case like it was the most interesting thing I’d seen all day. As he moved to walk past, he drove his shoulder into mine, and I nearly fell over. My eyes jerked up to his face in indignation to study the expression there, a disgusted sneer.

“Watch where you’re going,” he spat. I gaped at him as I felt heat rushing into my face. Miss Gainsborough politely ignored us, not willing to add to my embarrassment. After the prince exited, I made moves to head out as well.

“Mr. Argentum?” My teacher called. When I turned back to see what she wanted, a delicate frown tugged at her lips. “If you are ever in need of assistance, you know where to find me.” I knew what she was implying—that if the bullying became too much, she would find a way to stand up for me. She had always been my favorite teacher for her quiet concern, but unfortunately, she didn’t seem to understand how things worked at the academy. The last thing I needed was an adult coming to my aid. If anything, that would only make the situation worse.

I smiled as casually as I could, adding a laugh for extra measure. “Thanks, Miss G, but I’ve got things handled.” She gave me a look that suggested she didn’t entirely believe me, but nodded anyway. Without waiting for her to comment further, I hurried out into the hallway and on to my next period.

I was in such a rush to get to class that I didn’t notice who was headed in my direction. By the time they got close enough for me to recognize them it was too late to dodge down a side hallway, so I had to grit my teeth and hope for the best. I ducked my head and tried to appear as unintimidating as possible, but as soon as Gladiolus Amicitia saw it was me, he grinned, and I had the fleeting thought that he looked like a shark. The upper classman stepped forward and wrapped one muscled arm around my neck, squeezing hard enough for me to strain to breathe. I resisted the urge to bring my hands up to pull his arm away—I’d already made that mistake once and wouldn’t make it again.

“Hey there, Argentum. You ready for Tactics and Arms today?” He questioned conversationally. To any innocent bystander it must have looked like two friends having a cordial chat, but I heard the aggression within his words. “We’re grappling. I’d _love_ to be your partner for this one.” I remembered the last time Gladio was my sparring partner and felt my stomach flip-flop anxiously. I’d spent the rest of the day in the infirmary and could barely walk for days. He added an extra squeeze for emphasis, and I fought the panic that surfaced when I found that I couldn’t breathe. Thankfully, he let go fairly quickly, for the first bell had rung and neither one of us could afford to be late. Swallowing a cough as quietly as I could, I increased my pace just enough that it wouldn’t seem too obvious that I was running away and refused to look over my shoulder in fear.

I managed to slip into the room as the second bell rang and heaved a sigh of relief. My advisor, Mrs. Leonhart, chuckled when she saw me. “Just in the nick of time, I see.” Her tone was one of amusement, not judgement, and I couldn’t help but laugh as she leaned back in her chair.

“Yeah, I got a little held up. Sorry.” She shook her head and shooed me off with a wave of her hand, going back to the stack of papers in front of her. Other than Miss Gainsborough, she was my favorite person at the academy. Most people’s advisors tended to be very strict and demand a lot of them, but since I was one of the few people who chose the Technical Arts tract as my focus, she could afford to be relaxed. I was the only one in her second period, which meant I was free to study and work on whatever suited me while being away from prying eyes. She was young and had only accepted a job at the academy to be close to her husband (at least that’s what I had heard). How she had managed to convince the headmaster to invest in things such as photography and music continued to escape me, especially considering that the majority of the student body was either royalty or from military families, but I wasn’t about to complain. Her class was one of the few places I could escape from my peers, and somedays it was the only thing I had to look forward to.

“How’s that project coming along?” She wondered as I headed back to my work station, an isolated cubicle in the back left corner of the room. I walked past several other blocks on the way to mine and couldn’t help but peek inside as I did so. In one I spied an impressive pottery collection of mini statues, perfect replicas of the gods of Eos, along with other creatures I didn’t recognize. Still in another there were full portraits pinned carefully on cork board of some of the world’s most powerful political figures, so life-like that they could have been photographs.

“It’s coming,” I answered evasively, stealing another look at a station, this time the one next to mine. The student had transformed it into a recording studio, complete with magically noise-proofed walls and a professional grade sound mixer. I plopped down in my swivel chair just as Mrs. Leonhart said something, muffling her response. She didn’t say anything else, which made me assume I was in the clear. Pulling one knee up into my chest, I powered on my laptop and waited for my photo program to load. As the computer came to life, chirping and whirring in protest, I surveyed the rest of my 5-by-5 foot work space. I’d been doing a black and white collection using traditional film and developing the shots in the academy’s dark room. The photographs that had come out well were hanging in my space, various snapshots of campus life. Now I had decided to use a digital camera and edit my work into black and white for comparison. Even though the academy didn’t focus heavily on the arts, there was a competition held every year that could earn students scholarship money for submitting their work, and Mrs. Leonhart had convinced me to enter. I’d dived into my photography and was enjoying it more than I realized. At the very least it gave me something to focus on other than how much the people at school loathed me.

My mind wandered as I adjusted the parameters on a particular image with my editing software. It wasn’t difficult to see why other students didn’t want anything to do with me. This was the Insomnian Academy for the _Elite_ , and while my father was an infamous figure in Insomnian social circles, he was far from being at the top of the food chain. Verstael Besithia was well known for his position as the former Imperial Research Minister for the Niflheim Empire. When I was just a child we had moved to Insomnia as refugees, fleeing the civil war that found my dad out of favor with Niflheim’s emperor. He’d founded his own private research company to continue his work, but relied on funding from wealthy donors to do so. I had never asked, but I suspected from what I overheard here and there that my father didn’t always secure donations in the most honorable of ways, which had earned him the animosity of the community.

Being a proud man, my father wanted the best for me, and so he had somehow managed to enroll me in the academy while I was still in my grade school years. There were multiple rumors as to how he had succeeded in entering me into the world’s most prestigious boarding school, the majority of them unflattering in nature. The most plausible was that the school’s headmaster was also one of my father’s top donors, and that he provided me with a private scholarship as a part of their business dealings. Regardless of how I had ended up there, it couldn’t have been without some sacrificing on his part, which was why I could never tell him the extent of my hatred for the school and its condescending cohort.

Over the years I had learned as much as I could about my fellow students, less out of personal interest and more due to a strong survival instinct. As a result, I was able to figure out who to avoid completely, the best ones to exchange pleasantries with, and those who might ignore me instead of antagonizing me. By keeping my head down and focusing on my studies, I’d actually been a fairly successful student, if not a lonely one. Key teachers were my only ‘friends,’ although I suspected they pitied me more than liked me, but I’d take their pity over their enmity any day. I only had to make it three more years until graduation, and then I could leave the entirety of Insomnia behind. While I had no desire to work for my father, the option was a security net I could fall back on if I didn’t find other employment or pursue a higher education elsewhere. Becoming comfortable being uncomfortable was a skill I had honed to an extreme degree. I knew that if I could survive at the academy, I could survive anywhere, and that at least gave me hope.

My internal musings were interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the concrete floor of the workroom. Curious who could be approaching, I turned in my swivel chair to see Yuna, a quiet brown-haired girl with one green and one blue eye. She didn’t usually come in during second block, but I assumed she might have decided to stop by to squeeze in some extra practice to prepare for her performance. Thinking she meant to go into her cubicle, I turned back to my computer. It wasn’t until she gently cleared her throat from behind me that I made another revolution to face her.

“Prompto Argentum, right?” She asked with the slightest of smiles. Like an idiot, I glanced over my shoulder, as if there might be another person with the same name standing there.

“Um, yeah, that’s me.” She laughed, bringing one of her delicate hands to cover her mouth as she did so.

“The headmaster sent me to get you. He wants to see you in his office,” she explained. My stomach dropped at the notion and I quickly catalogued everything I had done in the last week to see if anyone might have lodged a complaint against me. Yes, I had sat at the wrong table during lunch two days ago, but that’s only because someone had dumped food in my chair and I couldn’t find any other empty spots to occupy. Or maybe it had been when I gave the correct answer in World History and made Ravus Nox Fleuret, a senior, look like he didn’t know what he was talking about. I licked my lips nervously as I moved to stand, almost tripping as the chair rolled out from under me. Kindly, Yuna refrained from laughing this time. I muttered a half-hearted ‘thanks’ as I moved past and made a wave to Mrs. Leonhart before heading out of the workshop.

The headmaster’s office was on the third floor of the academy and overlooked the central courtyard. The ground floor of the school was where the majority of the rooms used for classes were housed, and the second story consisted entirely of dormitories. Other offices, storage, and the infirmary were all located on the third floor, but there was only one set of stairs that would take you to the headmaster’s live-in suite. I took this set of stairs now, inspecting the golden spiral railing and the mural that stretched across the wall from the bottom landing all the way to the top as I did so. The paintings told the story of Eos’s creation, and was filled with gods and ancient beasts surrounded in celestial light. Looking at the gods always made me slightly nauseous as their glowing eyes seemed to pierce to my very soul, so I took the steps two at a time and rushed around the corner to the solid wood doors that awaited me.

I ran my hand over one of the Ifrit-head knockers, admiring the iron, before lifting its ring and hitting it firmly into the oak. A murmur came from behind the door, barely audible: “You may enter.”

I pushed the doors open with some effort and stepped into the large room that served as Headmaster Ardyn Izunia’s study. A plush rug of black, gold, and crimson led from the entryway to the large desk that sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the central courtyard. The desk itself had been fashioned from the same wood as the doors, as well as the bookcases that lined the other three walls. Each bookcase was brimming with tomes of varying ages and were tall enough that they required their own ladders, which were affixed on a track so that they could slide with ease in either direction. Thick curtains had been pulled back to frame the window panes and were currently tied to the wall with hefty golden cords. Natural light flooded the office, and there was the faint scent of smoke in the air, as if something had been burning recently.

“Mr. Argentum,” the headmaster said warmly. He had blended in so perfectly that I had almost missed him sitting at his desk. His unruly red hair had been tied back into a braid, and he adjusted his tie gently as he stood in greeting, smiling. With a wave, he beckoned me to sit in one of two leather chairs positioned before him. Trying not to betray the quick beating of my heart, I took slow, measured steps and bowed before sitting.

“Sir, I apologize if I’ve caused any trouble—”

“Nonsense, nonsense,” he cut me off, amber eyes twinkling as he continued to smile. As he sat back, I could see the hints of golden embroidery in the black vest he wore over his white button down shirt. “You’re not in any trouble,” he assured me. The tension in my shoulders instantly dissipated, and I breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ve actually called you here to ask a favor of you,” he admitted, clasping his hands over one knee. A favor, of _me_? What could I possibly have to offer the headmaster of the Insomnian Academy? When I didn’t respond, he went on.

“As you might know, our crown prince, Noctis Lucis Caelum of Insomnia, enrolled at the academy today.” Oh no. Oh no, this couldn’t be good, I thought while trying not to fidget. I watched as Headmaster Izunia carefully picked out a stack of papers from the corner of his desk and slid them into a manila folder. “He will need someone to ‘show him the ropes,’ and since he will be rooming with you, I thought it would be fitting for you to give him a tour of our fine establishment.”

My mouth must have been hanging open, because the headmaster chuckled as he held the folder out to me. No one had roomed with me for the last several years—because no one had wanted to. Any time a new student transferred in, they always requested a specific roommate to avoid being placed with Prompto Argentum, which suited me just fine. I did better alone anyway. So why would they place the prince with a lowly commoner? Perhaps Noctis didn’t know about it yet, which meant he would be royally enraged when he found out. My stomach churned just thinking about it.

“I have let your teachers know that you will be excused from all classes tomorrow so you can escort Mr. Caelum about the premises.” He paused then, studying my face. I quickly forced a smile, but Ardyn Izunia wasn’t the headmaster for nothing and saw right through me. “Is there a problem, Mr. Argentum?” My mouth was slow to form words, and he stood before I could formulate a response. With the poise of a bird of prey, he circled around to sit on the edge of the desk, so close that his foot was almost touching mine. Heat rose in my cheeks and my eyes darted to the rich carpet beneath my feet. My head jerked up when I felt his firm hand on my shoulder.

“Prompto,” he said, gentle now. “I have the utmost confidence in your ability to make our prince feel welcome. You need only tell me that you are opposed to the task and I will select another capable student for the honor. I merely felt this would be an excellent opportunity for you to establish a possibly fortuitous connection, one your father may even benefit from.”

Ah. So, this was my father’s doing. Suddenly, it all made sense. Of course, he would want me to get close to the prince, and consequentially, King Regis of Lucis, but based on how the prince had treated me this morning, it wasn’t likely we would become fast friends. I felt myself nodding submissively, sullenly accepting my fate and the will forced upon me. I wondered what my dad had done for this favor, but quickly pushed the thought away.

“That’s the spirit!” Ardyn lauded, his hand patting me firmly on the back. He let it linger there, and I suddenly couldn’t look anywhere but out the window behind him, my mind whirring with the probability that my father expected me to become the prince’s personal valet to benefit his business. “You will find everything you need to know in the dossier I have provided. However, if you need any further assistance, you are always welcome to call on me,” the headmaster explained with a nod of his head. He stood again, and I did the same.

“Thank you—sir,” I replied warily. Holding the folder close to my chest, I turned to go, trying to process what just happened. Before I made it to the doors, the headmaster was speaking again. I turned and nearly toppled backwards, shocked to find the man right behind me. How did he sneak up so quietly? It was downright eerie.

“Oh, and Mr. Argentum?” The headmaster was uncomfortably close, so that I could feel his breath on my neck, but I tried to remain as still as possible, eyeing the pattern of his tie to keep from jerking away. “Do remember that your success at this academy is dependent on your performance in all aspects, not only in the classroom. We wouldn’t want to ruin your chances of becoming a contributing member of society following graduation, now would we?”

He honestly didn’t need to threaten me, I had been honing my skills of adaptation since I entered the academy in grade school and understood my role in the social hierarchy. I dared to lift my gaze, my eyes locking with the headmaster’s, and in spite of my position, I felt a surge of bravery. If everyone was expecting me to fail and be the next butt of their jokes, they were sorely mistaken. I’d show them just how capable I could be—after all, my father’s reputation depended on it, and we were in this together whether I liked it or not.

“I won’t let you down, Headmaster Izunia,” I vowed with uncharacteristic boldness. The older man arched one eyebrow in amusement.

“Oh—I have no doubt, Mr. Argentum. Now, run along, I believe you have Tactics and Arms to attend.” As if on cue, the first bell rang. I had no choice but to turn and hurry out of the office to avoid being late. The doors swung shut behind me with a heavy sense of finality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs for this chapter:  
> "Zero" by Imagine Dragons  
> "Timebomb" by Walk the Moon  
> 


	2. Best Laid Plans of Princes and Men

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto learns of Prince Noctis's goal and realizes it's in his best interest to help him achieve it, but he might need a little help.

After racing down three flights of stairs and traversing to the opposite side of the academy to enter the main gymnasium, I had already broken a sweat when the second bell rang. My classmates were busy engaging in their own warm up exercises, some in groups of two, and others on their own. I went straight to the locker room without looking at anyone and threw my stuff into an empty cubby, taking care to put the manila folder Headmaster Izunia gave me securely in my briefcase, then quickly changed into my sparring uniform, a loose shirt and pants that tied with a belt at the waist. I couldn’t hide my body beneath slacks and a suit jacket here, which was just one of many reasons why T&A was my least favorite class.

When I walked back into the gym, I took note of the vaulted ceilings and their sky lights. It was cloudy, yet bright out, and the light streaming in from the windows emphasized the deep purple and black paint that accented the top third of the walls before it switched to a neutral gray for the bottom two thirds. Although very few sporting contests were held in the gymnasium, the school crest was affixed at half court along with a stylized version of our team mascot, the Coeurl. The back doors of the gymnasium led directly to the central courtyard where we would sometimes hold class if the weather was nice. Someone had recently put out two cushioned mats, which covered the majority of the wood floor, confirming Gladio’s declaration that we would be working on grappling today.

Before I had time to mentally prepare myself for what was to come, everyone abruptly stopped what they were doing and began to line up in front of the mats. Turning my head, I could see why—our instructor had arrived. Following the lead of my peers, I jumped to the end of the line and stood at attention, focusing my gaze straight in front of me. His cool voice cut through the air sharper than the katana affixed to his back. It was too long to hang comfortably at his hip without dragging on the ground, but it didn’t keep him from carrying it everywhere he went. Roll was called, and after our teacher spoke there was an immediate response from each student.

“Gladiolus Amicitia.”

“Here, sir.”

“Tidus Morita.”

“Here.”

“Prompto Argentum.”

“H-here.”

“Noctis Lucis Caelum.” The silence that followed was deafening. Several people dared to crane their necks to look around, myself included. My instructor’s bright green eyes cut through the line of pupils before him like a scythe through grain, causing everyone’s heads to snap back into place as he did so. Sweet Six, why was he late? Better for him not to show up rather than—

“Here,” Noctis said as he casually strolled into the gymnasium, still in his uniform. Keeping our heads affixed firmly in line this time, all eyes followed Mr. Crescent as he slowly turned to size up the newcomer. Our professor towered over the prince, and although the former soldier currently wore a loose white shirt and black sparring pants that tapered at the ankles, he gave off a strong and intimidating aura that was hard for most people to ignore. Noctis simply blinked up at him blandly, offering no explanation or apology for his tardiness.

“Your highness, I’m glad you decided to join us,” Mr. Crescent smiled, but it wasn’t meant to be friendly. I shuddered. It felt like the temperature in the gym dropped at least ten degrees, yet the prince of Lucis wore the same bored expression. Did he have no sense of self-preservation? “While I imagine you are used to people waiting on you, you’re at the academy now, not the palace. If you’re late again, there will be consequences. Hurry and change into something suitable.” We all watched as Noctis did as he was told, breathing a collective sigh of relief when our teacher said: “Pair up.”

I went to the far end of the mat and waited, fully expecting no one to choose me as their partner. To my dismay, Gladio was heading straight for me from the other side of the gym. I wandered in a giant circle, realized there was no place to run, and finally looked up at him with a pained smile. “Ready to go, runt?” He grinned in his usual way and I felt the slightest flutter of something in my chest (most likely fear).

“Gladiolus, you will have to pick on someone your own size, I’m afraid.” Our teacher approached, his long silver hair swinging by his hips. Even with it tied back, it was the longest and most luxurious I had ever seen. If he hadn’t been so terrifying, I imagine everyone in our school would be daydreaming about Sephiroth Crescent. “Mr. Argentum, you will have the honor of entertaining our prince.” I tried to control my reaction as Noctis exited the locker room, now in more appropriate clothing. Gladio made a disappointed noise, but knew better than to argue. I was helpless to protest as Sephiroth motioned for Noctis to join me, then turned to address the class once more.

“We will be working on our grappling skills this week. As it has been some time since we last practiced, we will spend today reviewing the basics. Start with one person guarding and the other person practicing a pass, sweep, and escape of their choice. I will be coming around to give feedback.” There was an echo of affirmation as we moved to do as he asked. I eyed Noctis, who was looking past me and seemed to have no intention of obeying.

“I, um, don’t mind going first if you’d like,” I offered, trying to be helpful. Noctis stared at me as if I had just told him to swallow something foul.

“I’m not going to wrestle with you,” he laughed flatly. I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to think of the best way to phrase what needed to be said.

“Listen, I get it, okay, you don’t want to work with me, that’s cool—but Sephiroth is going to get pissed off quick if we don’t at least make it look like we’re working on something, and that won’t end well for either of us.” Noctis smirked then, obviously unimpressed.

“Argentum, right? Let me break this down for you in a way you understand. I’m not here to learn. I’m not here to make friends. The sooner I get out of this hell hole, the better, which means I _want_ to make all the wrong people angry.”

Great, my new roommate was apparently a kamikaze pilot and I was along for the ride. With nothing worthwhile to offer him, I floundered to come up with a way to persuade him to participate that would benefit us both. Unlike the prince, I couldn’t afford to be kicked out of the academy, but Noctis didn’t have any reason to care about me. I could see Sephiroth eyeing us from across the room and started to panic as he began to take deliberate steps in our direction. Looks like I would have to resort to plan B—begging.

“Please, I can’t get in trouble, okay? My whole livelihood depends on staying at the academy. I promise, I’ll do whatever you want, but you have to spar with me for that to happen.” Noctis frowned at first, skeptical, but I pressed harder. “I’ve been here since grade school. I know all the teachers, all the students. There are much easier ways to get expelled than slacking off in class. Besides, if King Regis is the one who sent you here, you think a few bad grades is going to be enough for them to kick you out? That’s just going to be even more work for you.” The prince’s eyebrows raised. Maybe he was just shocked that anyone would dare to talk to him like I was, but if I didn’t take a chance I would be doomed either way. I held my breath as Mr. Crescent finally reached us, arms folded across his toned chest.

“Mr. Argentum, Prince Noctis, is there a problem here?” I looked directly into Noctis’s stormy eyes, imploring him to have mercy, and held my breath.

“No, he was just explaining the basics to me,” the prince finally said. I could have fainted with relief. Sephiroth scanned me, making it apparent he didn’t believe Noctis’s claim, but graciously let it slide. 

“Very well. Quickly, if you will, Mr. Argentum.” I waited until Mr. Crescent was safely out of earshot before looking to Noctis.

“Thank you, your highness.” The prince rolled his eyes.

“Don’t thank me. You’re going to make good on that promise,” he claimed, finally getting into a defensive stance. “Now hurry up.”

The remainder of class went amazingly smooth. Noctis refrained on commenting on my terrible form and went through the motions with me so that we didn’t draw anymore unnecessary attention. I was stunned to find he knew all the basics already, and was actually fairly skilled, but I assumed he must have been receiving private tutoring on a variety of subjects for the majority of his life. By the time class was coming to an end, I had broken a sweat and was breathing hard, while my partner still looked as nonchalant and pristine as when he arrived. Sephiroth excused us to get changed and I shuffled into the locker room with the rest of the boys, aiming to change and get out as quickly as I could. Before I could do so, Gladio had his arm around my neck for the second time in one day.

“You got lucky today, Argentum, but Prince Charming isn’t going to always be around to save you,” he boasted. Noctis ignored the comment, more concerned with putting his uniform back on than my wellbeing.

“We better hurry up or we’re going to be late to World History,” I protested weakly, trying to shrug out from under him. He grabbed me a little more tightly, opposite hand ruffling my hair.

“Right, would hate for you to miss another chance to make Ravus’s blood boil,” Gladio laughed, earning a few chuckles from those who were listening. Noctis glanced over at me curiously as I hung my head to hide my blush and fumbled with my clothes, jerking upright as Gladio smacked my bare back so hard that it stung.

“Keep that shit up Argentum and you won’t need to worry about being late to class,” he warned. I didn’t address the threat, instead focusing on buttoning my shirt and adjusting my tie. Keeping my eyes downcast when I eventually left the locker room, I went straight to my World History class, which was taught by Mr. Valentine.

The teacher was a man of few words, and sometimes a bit bland, but that suited me just fine. I hid in the back row where I could be out of sight. There were more upperclassmen in this period than I was typically comfortable with, so I had to be strategic with how much I participated. Usually the senior class present, Ignis Scientia, answered the majority of Mr. Valentine’s questions, sparing the rest of us the burden, but every so often our teacher would call people out specifically, so I always had to have an answer ready just in case.  I waited as the classroom filled, and Gladio took the seat beside me. He liked to cheat off my tests and quizzes, but I never mentioned it, and neither did he. It never made sense why he sat beside me when he could sit next to Ignis, the smartest person in school. Everyone knew that they were close friends, even if they seemed to avoid each other for some reason while at the academy.

When the second bell tolled and class started, I did my best to listen as Mr. Valentine droned on about various cosmogonies and how our worlds were all interconnected, but my thoughts ultimately drifted to how I was supposed to help Noctis with his plan to get expelled. There were plenty of things he could do, but he was a prince and his reputation had to be considered. I knew getting bad grades wouldn’t be enough—there was no way the teachers would fail the son of the man who signed their paychecks, but neither could he do something so outrageous as to attract media attention.

I pondered my options as Mr. Valentine flipped through slides on the projector, an old piece of machinery that he insisted on using since he “couldn’t keep up with every new invention coming out these days.” The dark haired man kept the classroom dimly lit, even when he wasn’t showing us a presentation—something about how he had “sensitive eyes,” and if you looked closely you could see they were a deep red in hue. The poor lighting made it much easier to avoid confrontation compared to my other periods, and as a result was where I did some of my best thinking.

With one head propped in my hand, I allowed my eyes to wander away from the images projected before me and to the front row of the class. Ignis Scientia sat diagonally across the room from me and was diligently taking notes in a leather bound notebook. I could see the gods reflected on the lenses of his glasses from the picture Mr. Valentine currently had displayed. Ignis had an amazing presence everywhere he went, and while he had never been unkind to me, he intimidated me so much that I generally tried to avoid him. The steady glow of the projector lit his green eyes ablaze, entrancing me like a mage’s spell. His soft lips, set in a relaxed line, pursed in annoyance as Mr. Valentine switched to the next slide before he had finished writing.

A “thwack!” broke me out of my daydreaming and I glanced over to where Gladio was watching me. Watching me, watching Ignis. He had smacked his notebook down on his desk to get my attention, a notebook that was opened, but blank.

“Can’t exactly copy your notes later if you’re too busy googling Specs,” he hissed low enough for me to hear. His tone was already a deep bass and was roughly equivalent to a bear’s growl. For the remainder of the class period I kept my eyes forward and my hands busy.

By the time we were dismissed for lunch, my mind was thoroughly exhausted. All of the plans I had come up with to help Noctis fell short of getting him in enough trouble to be expelled while still protecting his reputation as a prince. I decided to push my thoughts aside until later, and instead focused on getting in and out of line in the cafeteria so I could sit in my usual spot in the back corner. The cafeteria served the highest quality meals, many of which were prepared with help from our culinary arts class, so most people actually looked forward to it—one of the perks of living at the academy.

Students had several different seating options to choose from—there were medium round tables, more intimate booths, and long tables, which offered the most room. There was one booth tucked around the corner near the bathrooms that I typically sought out to avoid daggered glares or jokes at my expense. For several years I had gone unnoticed there with the exception of the occasional prankster spilling food or drink in my seat. I walked past the long wall of windows that looked into the central courtyard and straight into the back hallway with my meal in hand. When I got to my booth, I stopped and shifted side-to-side awkwardly, because someone was already there—Prince Noctis.

“Someone said this is where I could find you, although they seemed surprised why I would want to know,” he said. An empty tray sat in front of him and I wondered how he had gotten in to eat before anyone else. Then again, he _was_ the prince, so maybe his teacher had allowed him to leave before his other classmates, seeing as it was his first day.

“What do you want?” I wondered while slowly taking a seat, scanning his face for a reaction to tell me whether I should or not. His expression didn’t change from its neutral stare, and I tentatively began to eat as he spoke.

“Tell me the plan you have to get me out of here,” he demanded, sipping from the cup of soda in front of him.

“I don’t have any concrete details yet. I need to think about it a little more,” I admitted before taking another bite.

“What’s there to think about? You’re the one who said it would be easy!” Noctis pointed out, waving a finger at me in an accusing gesture. I looked over my shoulder to make sure no one was approaching.

“Most people are more concerned with getting in to this school and staying in it, so why are you so determined to get out?” I knew I was being bold again, but it wasn’t like the prince had been helpful thus far. How did he expect me to pull a solution out of thin air if he wouldn’t work with me?

“That’s none of your business,” Noctis snapped, and I knew I had struck a chord.

I let the conversation grind to a halt and focused on my food while he brooded, looking out into the courtyard where we both could see someone walking across it towards the cafeteria. I was surprised to find it was Lunafreya Nox Fleuret of Tenebrae. While she and her older brother had both transferred to the academy two years ago, she didn’t attend normal classes, but spent most of her time in the infirmary as a work study student. From what I heard the princess was very talented in her use of healing magic and was also the youngest Oracle in Lucian history. In spite of being one of the most high profile students at our school, she was rarely seen, which was why it was so astonishing to see her now.

I turned to Noctis then, tempted to make a comment, but was amazed to find him no longer in front of me. Whipping my body around, I assumed I would find him walking away, or maybe heading towards the bathroom, but he had disappeared without a trace. I was left to consider the Lunafreya sighting alone and the devoured the rest of my lunch in peace before moving into the second half of the day.

Every student, with few exceptions (such as Lunafreya), shared a similar schedule: breakfast, four class periods in the morning, lunch, then longer individualized study sessions, school clubs, or internships in the afternoon, followed by dinner. Being in the technical arts track, I spent a good amount of time in the mechanic shop several days a week with Cid Highwind, but on alternating weekdays, attended music lessons. Today I was scheduled for a guitar lesson and I eagerly went to meet my teacher, Edward Muir, in the music room.

Mr. Muir was a quiet man with shoulder-length golden hair that he often tied back, but was an amazing musician, and our time together always felt incredibly short. He and I had no sooner sat down with our instruments that it felt like our two hour session came to a close. The teacher commented on how I was improving and to keep practicing, and I promised to do just that as I jostled out into the hall and made for the library next. I had two hours until the cafeteria opened again for dinner, and this was the time I typically used to do any homework or studying so I could relax when I got back to my room for the evening.

When I entered, the librarian, Ms. Trepe, looked up over the rims of her glasses at me and smiled knowingly. I gave her a nod before walking past the round circulation desk where she sat to my favorite nook nestled in the wall between two bookshelves. A stained glass window depicting “The Mystic” of Lucian legend was inlaid above the cushioned bench, and the light streaming through it threw a rainbow of color on the carpeted floor by my feet. There was enough room for me to lay down, and I did so, crossing one leg over the other while pulling my Basics of Magic textbook from my briefcase and beginning to peruse it.

I’m not sure how long it took me to realize someone was standing over me. I was busy digesting the chapter on how items could serve as conduits to amplify magic and trying to commit the information to memory. It wasn’t until I set my book aside to jot down a note that I caught sight of a pair of leather shoes, shimmering with tints of blue and green from the stained glass above.

I allowed my eyes to pan up a pair of long legs to the perfectly placed tie around Ignis Scientia’s neck. He had waited patiently for me to notice him, and I felt mortified to think he might have stood there for several minutes while I had been completely oblivious to his presence. It took a few long seconds of me staring at him as if he were an apparition before he cleared his throat and I pushed myself into a sitting position.

“H-hi, um, what’s up?” I tried not to cringe as my voice cracked out of nervousness.

“You have a visitor in the front office. I am here to escort you,” Ignis explained. It dawned on me that one of Ignis’s (many) internships consisted of helping manage the front office, although I had no idea he delivered messages personally. “We do not allow phone calls to the library during study hours,” he added, as if reading my thoughts. “Thus, I came to relay the message myself.”

“O-oh, thank you,” I mumbled, quickly moving to collect my things, clumsily knocking my textbook onto the floor in the process. We both bent to retrieve it at the same time, and I found my hand brushing the top of Ignis’s knuckles as he grabbed the book first. I felt redness shoot from the base of my neck all the way to the crown of my head, but Ignis appeared unfazed by my embarrassment.

“Preparing for next week’s exam, I take it?” He asked before giving it back to me. I carefully slid the book into my briefcase with a sound of affirmation. Ignis turned to lead the way out of the library and I followed a few steps behind. “How are you liking it?” Ignis asked as we entered the hallway.

“Ah, well, Prince Noctis is in my class now, so I’m sure that will make things interesting, but I like it okay. Miss G is nice, and she’s a good teacher,” I replied, hurrying to match Ignis’s long strides. I saw Ignis glance at me from out of his peripheral vision and smile.

“Actually, I was referring to the subject itself,” he explained. His accent made it difficult to tell if he was making fun of me or not, but I always assumed people were laughing at me, just to be safe.

“Oh!” I laughed loudly, maybe too loudly, and then added quickly, “It’s all right I guess, not my best subject.” Ignis was quiet as we rounded the corner to the hall where the main office could be found. As he we drew closer to it, he reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a business card with delicate print across its front and a family crest on the back, handing it to me.

“If you find you are struggling, I excel in the Magical Arts and offer private tutoring sessions.” I stopped in my tracks, holding the card in both hands to study it with awe. Below Ignis’s name was his contact number and e-mail address. Did he really just offer to help _me_? He had continued walking, and now turned back to me.

Realizing he was holding the door open for me to walk through, I shoved the card into my briefcase and did a few quick steps into the office, letting Ignis close the heavy wooden door behind us.

The main office was not nearly as lavish as Headmaster Izunia’s, but it had a lot of the same design elements, including a rich carpet with undulating designs in gold, black, and purple, and a set of large windows on the back wall. An oak desk in the shape of a large semi-circle took up the majority of the front room and had space for several people to sit behind it to greet guests. To either side of the desk’s high counter were doors that led into private offices for other administration to meet, whether it be with parents, students, or visitors. Fine art in ornate golden frames lined the walls, several depicting former Lucian kings and scenes from history. Magically lit lamps hung from the ceiling, illuminating the room with a warm glow.

Ignis stepped behind the front desk to sit at his station, returning to a stack of folders that he appeared to be sorting into piles. Two other people were also busy at work, and they didn’t so much as glance up when we entered. I looked to my right as someone sitting on a low bench got to their feet, and I was surprised to find it was my father.  

He was wearing one of his best suits, a light-gray with silver buttons and cuff-links. The loafers he paired with them had a faint snake-skin pattern, the scales the same vibrant blue as his pocket square and tie. A charcoal gray vest under his jacket made the bright color pop and drew out the blue in his eyes, the same color as my own. With his blonde hair slicked back, his facial features appeared sharper, almost hawk-like, the only way our appearance truly differed. As much as I hated to admit it, there was no denying he was my father. People initially mistook him for my older brother when they met him due to how similar we were in appearance.

“Dad, what are you doing here?” I wondered, keeping my voice low so not to bother Ignis or the others who were working. They all kept their eyes down, and I imagined they were trying to be subtle about eavesdropping. It wasn’t typical for my father to come to the school unannounced.

“I thought we could do dinner,” he replied. Judging by the way he said it, it wasn’t meant to be a suggestion. “My car is outside.” Without waiting for me to respond, he went out ahead of me. Hesitating, I glanced over my shoulder at Ignis, who lifted his head questioningly. I offered a small smile, which he surprisingly returned, and that gave me enough the courage I needed to leave the office and join my father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 Songs:  
> "Loser Like Me" Glee version  
> "I'm Just a Kid" by Simple Plan  
> "Introducing Me" by Nick Jonas (I imagine this is a song Prompto would sing while practicing guitar by himself in his dorm room)  
> "Waving Through a Window" by Ben Platt


	3. Great Expectations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto struggles to both please Prince Noctis and meet his father's expectations.

The cloudy sky had darkened with the impending sunset, painting the clouds with fervent red and royal purple hues. I took a moment to admire them before stepping into my father’s ebony, two door coupe. Reclining in the leather seat, he turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the rounded driveway in front of the Insomnian Academy. I looked at the marble fountain in the center of the drive as we pulled away, the same brilliant white as the academy’s outer walls. The piece depicted Leviathan jumping out of the ocean, and water flowed freely from the god’s mouth to the large basin below.  

Leviathan grew smaller as we drove away, disappearing entirely as we took a few side streets to reach a main thoroughfare into the city. Soft piano was playing on the car radio and I focused on the music to ignore my building anxiety as the silence stretched between me and my father. It wasn’t until we were in downtown Insomnia that he finally spoke, asking: “How’s school going?”

The last time he had visited was at the end of the quarter, nearly two months ago. I didn’t go home on weekends, and he never told me that I should. “It’s fine, I’ve got all A’s and one B right now.” The B was in Tactics and Arms and, honestly, Sephiroth was probably just taking pity on me. If I got a C I would have to remediate, and I was sure he didn’t want me in his class for a third quarter in a row. So long as I listened and gave my best effort I was certain he would pass me, and my father knew that fighting wasn’t one of my best skills.

“Good, keep those grades up, you’ll need to if you want to enter a prestigious university,” he commented as he pulled into a parking garage. We had this same conversation every time we met so I already knew what was coming next.

“How about your internships? What are you looking into for next year?” This was the part that I dreaded, but I had gotten better at handling it. At least now I wouldn’t break down into tears when he berated my hobbies.

“I’m entering the school art show this year. Mrs. Leonhart thinks I have a good chance of earning scholarship money, and Muir wants me to try a perform a guitar piece in the spring talent show.” I watched as my dad frowned heavily while guiding the car into a free spot. He cut the ignition off and faced me fully. I tried to imitate Noctis’s “I-don’t-care” face from when Sephiroth stared him down earlier, hoping for the best.

“Come now, Prompto, you know music and photography aren’t going to get you anywhere in life. It’s time for you to devote yourself to something more beneficial to your future.” Taking a deep breath, I decided to be as firm as I could be without risking my father’s wrath.

“You were the one who told me that so long as I keep my grades up you didn’t care what I did in my free time. Besides, I’m still working on machinery with Cid. I bet I could fix anything on your car for you,” I boasted. He arched his eyebrow at that, finally pushing the door open. I followed suit, and we walked side-by-side out of the parking deck and onto the sidewalk.

“Very well, I will take you up on that challenge, but I would like you to consider other pursuits next term,” he replied stubbornly.

“Like what?” I ventured, wary. We crossed the street at a pedestrian crossing and I realized we were heading to one of my father’s favorite restaurants, an expensive eatery in the traditional Lucian style. For someone who grew up in Niflheim, he sure did enjoy Insomnia’s finer delicacies. I held the door open for him as he replied.

“An off-campus internship—with me, perhaps.” Unsure how to respond, I stood holding the door several seconds after he had stepped inside. “Come along, Prompto,” he called gruffly. Thankfully, there was no pressure for me to speak right away, for the hostess and my dad had to exchange pleasantries before she could seat us.

After a quick conversation, she showed us past several rooms with thin rice-paper walls, to our own booth. There were cushions on the floor with space cut out in the wood for our legs to dangle down, and a low table with two lanterns overhead. She motioned for us to enter. As was custom, we both slid off our shoes before doing so, sitting across from one another as she poured water and presented our menus.

“Well?” My dad urged, obviously not willing to let his suggestion die.

“You’ve never wanted me in your lab before,” I pointed out, trying to buy myself time to think. It was true—if anything, he had always discouraged me from getting involved with his work. I typically assumed it was because he found me more of nuisance than a help.

“Dear gods, you’re not going to be working on the experiments yourself.” His laugh was grating. “However, you are getting to an age now where you will need real life skills, and you could be of use to me.” Sipping my water, I nodded noncommittally. The last thing I wanted to do was go into the research field with my father.

“Or perhaps you could ask Prince Noctis if you could be of service to him.” I choked on my drink then, nearly spitting it all over the table as I fought to swallow. Coughing violently as a result, I set the glass down and turned my head to the side, covering my mouth with one arm.

As I struggled to get myself together, my father took the opportunity to press even harder. “I know he was placed at the academy today. It is of utmost importance that you make it your mission to befriend him. Having connections is the only way you will be successful in this world.”

“D-dad!” I was finally able to protest. Our server appeared as if summoned, and I quieted my cough to a staccato sputter as my father ordered for the both of us, unwilling to ask what I might want for myself. He then waited until the woman walked away to continue our talk.

“In all seriousness, I have been trying to get an audience with the king for years now. Can you imagine what type of business opportunities might present themselves if I were to secure funding from the throne? Our very livelihood might soon depend on it, so don’t disappoint me.”

Disappoint _him_ , of all people? I glared down stonily into my water glass. I had spent my entire life trying to impress my father and all I got were complaints about how I could be doing better, that I was wasting my time on anything that gave me the slightest sliver of joy and happiness, that I would never amount to anything if I didn’t make more friends in high places. For one moment I wished he could see that everything I did was to make him love me. While it might not have been enough to him, I _was_ giving it my best, trying to excel while maintaining some semblance of normalcy in my daily life. Part of me knew he would never be satisfied, which made it all the more difficult to care about what he was saying now.

Blessedly, my father’s phone rang before either of us could say more. He answered it immediately, stepping out of the booth and into the hall, sliding the screen door shut as he left. It wasn’t like I was interested in eavesdropping, but it was probably work-related. Placing my elbows on the table, I rested my head in my hands and closed my eyes. I wished I could afford to get expelled from the academy like Prince Noctis, but I wasn’t royalty, and my future wasn’t assured. In that sense, my father was right. If his business wasn’t successful, what would become of me? Would there be a place for Prompto Argentum, a Niflheim bastard, in Insomnia?

By the time my father returned, our food arrived. This at least gave me a legitimate reason not to speak to him, which I was grateful for. It was hard to enjoy the meal with my father’s words hanging over my head though. I resented him for putting me in this position. How was I supposed to “befriend” Noctis when he wanted me to get him kicked out of the academy as soon as possible? Maybe I could ask him for a favor in return, but the likelihood of him following through on it was slim to none. He didn’t have any reason to repay me—being born into power had its perks, I guess.

When we finished, my father paid, and he made no further effort to engage me in conversation. It was plain to see that the only reason he wanted to take me out was to reemphasize my role in his financial plans. If he thought that me being at the academy was no longer benefitting him, he would pull me out of school without a second thought. Some days I considered quitting, but I knew that being at the academy had at least one advantage—it kept me away from my father. I would continue serving as his obedient pawn until I was independent enough to act out on my own.

The car ride back to the academy was spent in silence. During our time at dinner it had started to rain, and I leaned by head against the window to watch as the precipitation made tiny rivers on the outside of the glass. When we pulled up to the curb, my dad said: “I’ll be at the parent meeting for mid-quarter reports next week. Think on what we spoke about tonight.” I think I gave a generic answer as I got out, but my father wasn’t listening for an answer anyway so I’m not sure why I bothered.

After checking back in at the front office, I made my way through the now deserted hallways up to the second floor dormitories. When I reached my room, which was at the end of a long hallway by the stairwell, I put my key in the lock and turned like I had done thousands of times before. It hadn’t occurred to me to knock because I had lived alone for years up until that point, so when I walked in to find Prince Noctis in nothing but a towel, I paused, dropping my briefcase in the doorway.

“About time,” he barked, wet hair matted against his head. “I’ve got homework for you to do.” He proceeded to walk over to the closet— _my_ closet—and pull out a pair of cotton pants and a t-shirt from one of the dresser drawers contained inside. Unceremoniously, he dropped his towel to get dressed, and I darted my eyes up to the ceiling automatically.

“That’s my closet,” I said, belatedly identifying the low whine in my voice.

“Well, it’s mine now,” he retorted. Then he went to sit on the bottom bunk of the bed— _my_ bed.

“Hey!” I yelped, then stopped when the prince glared at me challengingly. I let the rest of my words die before they ever left my mouth. Sighing heavily, I instead asked: “What homework?”

Prince Noctis went to sleep well before I finished taking notes for his classes and completing his worksheets. Coming in midway through the quarter was hard enough, but he was in two courses that I wasn’t currently taking, which meant I had to do some research of my own. My head was nodding out of exhaustion when I eventually decided to call it a night. I was afraid to glance at the clock as I crawled into the top bunk and closed my eyes, but in spite of being tired, my mind continued to race as I tried to get some sleep. How was I going to please His Royal Highness _and_ my demanding father and survive? Throughout the day I hadn’t come up with any better solutions than to have Noctis pick a fight with someone, and even that wasn’t a guarantee that he would be kicked out of the academy, so I racked my brain for a better solution.  

I must have drifted off in the midst of my brainstorming, because before I knew it, an alarm was ringing obnoxiously in my ear. Groggily, I rolled over to cancel the ringing coming from my phone. With a groan, I sat up and was immediately met by Noctis leaning over me, a manila folder clenched in one hand.

“What, are you spying on me now?” He demanded, tossing the folder that Headmaster Izunia had given me so that its contents scattered across the bed. Blearily, I tried to gather my thoughts, wondering why the prince might have been digging through my things, but the prince was already descending the small ladder to the ground, snatching his jacket from where he had tossed it over a chair.

“It’s not what it looks like!” I insisted, flinging my sheets back to get out of bed.

“Oh really?” He questioned sarcastically. Noctis slipped his shoes on as my feet hit the floor. It wasn’t until I glanced over at the clock on the desk that my stomach dropped.

“I haven’t even looked at that! Headmaster Izunia gave it to me yesterday to help in ‘showing you the ropes,’ whatever that means. Dear gods, is it really eight o’ clock in the morning?” I demanded as I caught sight of the clock across of the room. Busy fidgeting with his tie, Noctis didn’t turn to look at me as he answered.

“Yeah, I changed your alarm. Figured we could both use the sleep.” I wanted to punch him. It would be so easy with his back turned—he wouldn’t even see it coming. Instead, I bottled my anger and rushed into the bathroom connected to our suite to brush my teeth and get dressed.

“Cu-wass stu-wats in fif-een mi-nuts,” I babbled through a mouthful of toothpaste. Spitting in the sink, I hurriedly moved to pull on my uniform, fingers deftly weaving to secure my tie in place over my shirt.

“Good thing you’re showing me around today then,” Noctis commented, reminding me of what I had quickly forgotten. I felt some of the nervous energy inside me evaporate like steam, but only enough to take the edge off. Noctis leaned in the doorway, watching me like one studies an animal in a cage.

“Do you mind?” I snapped, yanking my pants up around my waist before securing them with a belt. In the mirror I could see the pink coloring my cheeks, but I was too angry to care.

 “Why are you so worked up? Are you always like this?” The prince questioned.

 _Maybe because I’m not like you!_ I thought. Maybe, because us _normal_ people have to be perfect and can’t afford to make mistakes or their parents will kill them for bringing dishonor on their family. Fortunately, I decided on a tamer response:

“It’s not exactly easy being me, and you’re not making it any easier.” I readied myself for a smart-ass comeback, but to my surprise, none came. Noctis continued to study me, arms folded in contemplation. Finally dressed, I turned to him expectantly.

“Well, Your Highness, where do you want me to take you?” I asked, unable to keep the exasperation out of my voice. He smiled then, and I was taken aback. I anticipated it would be malicious, maybe even mocking, but it was genuine, if not brief.

“Give me the grand tour,” he requested in all seriousness. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself for a long day as I led Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum out of the room we now shared.

We walked in silence through the halls, which were peppered with students on their way to class. After the first bell rang though, we became very much alone, and my unease turned palpable. My defense mechanism was to usually melt into the background whenever I grew too uncomfortable, but that wasn’t an option in this situation. To my horror, I ended up babbling uncontrollably, pointing out everything as we passed by and spewing pointless facts.

“That’s the main office there, which is run by Ms. Lulu and her student interns. She’s very moody and edgy, and a lot of people say she’s a dark mage who was sent here from her world as a form of punishment. Not many students like her, but a lot say she’s pretty attractive, so I guess there’s that. It may just be because she wears a lot of low cut shirts, but who knows?” When I turned to Noctis I realized he was watching me, eyebrows raised in amusement.

“You think she’s hot?” He asked as we continued down the hall.

“No, of course not, I would never look at an adult like that!” I protested, maybe a little too loudly, my words reverberating within the arched ceilings. Lowering my voice, I reiterated: “That’s just what people say.”

“Noted.” Noctis shoved his hands in the pockets of his trousers as we meandered through the first level of the academy.

I pointed out where all of his classes were in relation to other areas of interest, such as the library, auditorium, swimming pool, gymnasium, and courtyard. The more time we spent together, the more fluid and put-together my thoughts became. Eventually I stopped rambling and started giving more pertinent information, like who the better teachers were, which classes were easy to pass, and which to avoid. I explained the block class and quarter school year system that we followed, along with major school events: the spring festival, summer sports day, midterms, the fall art competition and exhibit, and winter finals. Noctis absorbed most of the information without commenting, but I could always tell when he was listening by the way he tilted his head towards me as I talked.

Once we had covered the first floor, we made quick work of the second as it was mostly dormitories and didn’t require any explanation. The wings were divided by year, so first year high school students lived on the south hall, second years in the west, third years in the east, and fourth years in the north. Middle schoolers occasionally lived on campus if their parents requested it, and there was a smaller wing for them that was supervised by hall monitors, a duty which rotated each week between various teachers. With permission, fourth years were able to get apartments off campus, but those who did were few and far between. Communal spaces like bathrooms and kitchens could be found on each hall, along with group study areas. (Noctis didn’t show much interest in those, but I guess that’s what he had me for.)

By the time we climbed the stairs to the third floor, it was nearing lunch time. We strolled past the infirmary, and through sliding glass doors I spied Lunafreya sitting at the reception desk, head bowed over a chart she was flipping through. Noctis hurried past me so that by the time she actually glanced up, he was well down the hall and out of sight. This was the second time he had fled when seeing her, and I made a mental note to ask him about it when the opportunity arose. For now, we pressed on, and I led him past the offices and residential quarters for faculty and staff.

“There’s a directory here,” I said, motioning to a large bulletin board in the central area of the floor we now found ourselves in. “It tells you where you can find each teacher and their office hours. Headmaster Izunia’s office is separate from everyone else’s though, so you’ll have to reach him by going up this staircase,” I instructed while pointing to a stair icon on the board’s map. Noctis was busy reading the directory and didn’t seem to hear me. Shifting from side to side, I waited patiently for him to finish.

“Where does this lead?” Noctis asked, pointing to another staircase on the map.

“Oh, that? To the roof, I think,” I answered as I leaned in to take a closer look.

“C’mon,” he said, turning down the hall in that direction.

“W-wait!” I protested, but he was already halfway down the hall. He could really move fast when he applied himself.

Before I knew it, we were transcending yet another set of stairs and pushing open a door at the top to emerge on the roof of the Insomnian Academy. Since the school had been built in a more traditional style, it was castle-like in nature and had long ramparts lined by parapets. These walkways connected all four decorative bastions, which made up the corners of the academy and its primary staircases.

“Wow, get a look at this!” Noctis said as he raced to one of the rails facing into the center of the school. “There’s the courtyard,” he pointed down. I had never seen the courtyard from so high up. From this angle I could see how the multicolored tiles broken up by trees and water features created a stylized mosaic of Lucis.

He continued across the wall and I trailed behind him warily, praying that no teachers happened to find us on the roof exploring where no student should rightfully be. “What’s that there?” The prince wondered, waving to the tallest tower that sat towards the back of the building.

“Oh, that’s where I was going to take you next. It’s the chapel,” I answered. The prince frowned slightly.

“There’s a church here? What, dedicated to the Six?” He sounded more surprised than skeptical, which I took as a good sign to elaborate.

“It’s not dedicated to any specific god, but it is a place for students to go and worship if they choose. Different worlds believe different things, which is why it’s intentionally vague. Sometimes I just go there to be alone.” Noctis nodded, accepting my explanation without question.

“What about that?” He was now pointing past the walls, to the greenery behind the building.

“That’s the gardens and the greenhouse where some of the food is grown for the cafeteria. It’s really peaceful to walk through when the weather is—what are you doing?!” I demanded in alarm, for Noctis had now hopped on top of the low wall and was jumping between the embracements as carefree as a bird on a branch.

“Relax, it’s fine,” he laughed with an absurd level of self-assurance. It was most certainly _not_ fine. One slip up and the prince would fall three stories to his death, leaving me as the one responsible.

“Please, Your Highness, save the death-defying feats for another time!” I pleaded, not bothering to mask my panic. Noctis looked over his shoulder and smirked smugly, reigniting my rage towards him that had died over the course of the morning.

“What, afraid that if I fall it will come down on your head?” Noctis questioned not-so-innocently.

“Yes!” I barked angrily, throwing my hands up. “C’mon man, stop messing with me!” I demanded.

“Ha, there it is. About time you dropped the ‘Your Highness’ bullshit.” Ignoring the jab, I moved a few steps closer before lunging forward in an attempt to grab him.

Everything happened faster than I could blink, and yet, seemed to go in slow motion at the same time. Noctis jerked away, trying to avoid my reach. I could hear the fabric of his suit jacket ripping from where I had grasped it as he slipped and fell over the edge of the marble wall, his cloudy eyes widening in surprise as he disappeared from sight. My heart jumped in my throat, squashing the scream that lived there. Oh gods—oh my _fucking_ gods—I had just killed the crown prince.

It took three full seconds before I rushed to the railing and leaned my head over to look, fully expecting a mangled mess of limbs and blood splatter to be on the driveway below with astonished on-lookers staring up at me in accusation. Instead, the ground beneath me was as spotless as it ever was, and people came and went out of the front doors of the academy without so much as a glance in my direction.

“What in the…?”

“Did you just try to kill me? That’s treason, you know.”

I swung around so fast that my head spun, making me dizzy enough to lean back against the parapet. Somehow, Noctis Lucis Caelum of Insomnia stood before me. The only proof that he wasn’t a ghost was that the entire right side of his jacket was ripped to the armpit. He shrugged it off as I stared at him and I felt all of the color draining from my face in an icy wave.

“How did you—you just fell, I watched it!” I found that my voice was barely more than a whisper and dripping with disbelief.

“I told you it was fine,” Noctis stated, smiling as he walked away. I followed him to the door that took us back down to the third floor, muttering a silent prayer of thanks to whatever god might hear me for whatever miracle that had kept Noctis safe.

“You’re not going to explain what happened?” I asked incredulously once we were safely within the confines of four walls.

“Guess you really didn’t read that file,” Noctis mused, nodding as if confirming something. My cheeks burned with newfound heat at the realization that he must have been testing me for a reaction. What. An. Asshole.

“I’m starving. Let’s grab some lunch,” he suggested then, yawning as he stretched both arms overhead. Exasperated, but unable to argue with my rumbling stomach, we walked together to the cafeteria.

I didn’t say anything until we sat down in my usual spot. Ignoring my food entirely, I gathered up the courage to confront the prince. “All right, you’ve got to tell me what the hell just happened. After all, if you expect me to help you, I need to know what your freaking deal is.”

It could have been that I was hungry, sleep-deprived, and had felt my life (and the prince’s) flash before my eyes mere minutes earlier, but gone was my usual shy, demure self. Noctis had brought out something in me that I thought had disappeared long ago: an outspoken, passionate persona I had buried beneath the lofty expectations placed on me by my father and the people I surrounded myself on a daily basis.

Folding his arms in annoyance, Noctis leaned back in the booth and sighed. “You’ve lived here long enough to know—honestly, I’m surprised that you don’t. I’m the Lucian heir, after all. Just like my father has access to the power of the Crystal, so do I. That means I have the ability to warp and to use an Armiger, similar to how the Kingsglaive devoted to my family share the king’s strength. So yeah—I’m not worried about falling, I can just warp to whatever point I need to.”

Of course, he was right. I had lived in Insomnia long enough to know about King Regis of Lucis and the legacy of the nation’s royalty, but I had never had to come into contact with any of them in person, let alone share a room with the crown prince. What he said made sense and put me more at ease, but it seemed like Noctis wasn’t done talking yet.

“ _And_ , if you had bothered to read through that file, you would know why I’m here—so I guess you’re right, I should probably tell you if you’re going to help me out.” He paused, pushing around some of the food on his plate with a fork as he gathered his thoughts. “My dad didn’t feel like I was making enough progress with private tutors. Obviously, he wants me to be ready in the event I have to take the throne, but apparently I’m not quite cutting it. He said that if I don’t do well at the academy he’s going to marry me off to Lady Lunafreya to seal a deal with Niflheim. There’s a lot of politics involved that I don’t really understand or care about, but the last thing I want is to be betrothed before I graduate high school.”

Swallowing hard, I considered the raised stakes that Noctis had placed before me. Now I at least knew why he had been avoiding Lunafreya. “Won’t expulsion mean you have to marry her though? Why not try to do what your father asks?” I questioned in confusion.

“Ha! You think they’ll want me to marry her if I get thrown out of the academy? I doubt that would go over well. Besides, I’m trying to prove a point to my dad. I’m not going to be some pawn in his game just because he wants me to be.”

Thinking on my own relationship with my father, I grew quiet. It was easy to see why Noctis felt so strongly about the situation, but unfortunately, I knew how easy it was for those in power to exert control over those without it. Noctis was fighting a losing battle, he just didn’t know it yet. How could I break it to him without crushing his spirit?

“Is your father coming to the mid-quarter reviews next week?” I asked, an idea suddenly sparking in my mind.

“Who knows? I guess if he’s not too busy he might.”

“All right, well, it might help me to see what he’s like in person. Your situation isn’t a normal one so it’s going to take something out of the ordinary to get you removed from the academy, and it sounds like the one who will need the most convincing is your father.” Noctis frowned, leaning forward to place his elbows on the table.

“Let me get this straight… you’re saying we need to convince my _dad_ to take me out of school? That’s your master plan?” I could hear the doubt behind the words, but at least in this area I had a certain level of expertise. If it’s one thing I had a lot of experience in, it was dealing with overbearing fathers.

“Exactly. Once we figure out what will change his mind, it’s just a matter of achieving it. Are you in, or what?” The prince was shaking his head, but I could see him smiling—another true smile. This one lasted a few seconds longer than the last. A small bubble of pride swelled in my stomach and warmth spread through my abdomen along with it.

“You’re a strange one, Argentum, but I don’t have any better ideas. Let’s try it your way.”

We ate our meal after that, sharing a silence that had transformed from anxiety-inducing into something softer, almost comfortable. For the first time in all my years at the academy, I didn’t feel the need to put up a wall or be on my guard. Even though I knew the feeling wouldn’t last, it was nice to enjoy it, even if only for a moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 songs:  
> "Bet on It" from High School Musical 2 - Prompto's general feelings towards Verstael  
> "Cool Kids" by Echosmith


	4. The Perfect Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto reaches a breaking point with Noctis as the prince's popularity begins to attract more attention to him-- and not all of it is good attention.

In the days that followed I began to adjust to life with Noctis. Unlike me, he often overslept, which meant I was responsible for making sure he got to breakfast and his first period on time. He was an absolute behemoth to wake up, often cursing me when I did so, then promptly forgetting his treatment of me once he had eaten, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t endure.

We developed a rhythm of interaction: wake up, have breakfast, got to first period, part ways for second, spend time together in third, separate again in fourth, eat lunch, attend our private sessions in the afternoon, then meet up for dinner, homework, and lights out. Well, lights out for _me_ at least. While I worked on our homework, Noctis resorted to playing video games on his phone or listening to music. Sometimes he would even go up to the roof to ‘explore,’ whatever that meant. I went to bed exhausted and woke up drained, but was somehow happier than I had ever been before.

Of course, the downside was that Noctis attracted attention—a _lot_ of it. Part of me wondered why he continued to eat with me for every meal when he had a million other more suitable options available to him. People approached him multiple times per day, inviting him to this or that or asking him to join them while pretending I wasn’t standing or sitting in the same vicinity he shared. It was strangely satisfying to watch the prince coolly decline every proposition he received. He couldn’t even be bothered to watch as the newcomer walked away looking dejected or irritated. Did he really not care what people thought about him? I envied his care-free attitude, but was too uncertain of myself to copy it.

It was the last day of classes for the week, and I had joined the prince after second block to walk to Tactics and Arms when someone I knew all too well rounded the corner and headed straight towards us. Ravus Nox Fleuret reminded me of a hurricane, beautiful to behold with a calm center, but entirely capable of fucking you up at a moment’s notice. I was tugging on Noctis’s sleeve, trying to at least warn him as he was currently head first in his briefcase looking for something, but he didn’t take the hint. Ravus came to a halt in front of us, flanked on either side by two students who I recognized, but didn’t know well enough to call by name.

“To think that our royal highness associates with this rabble. Truly, a shame and a disgrace.” Ravus’s eyes cut over to me and I quickly looked away. Noctis popped his head out of his briefcase to meet Ravus’s gaze. For the first time since I had met him, his usual nonchalance had been replaced by something more familiar to me: wariness.

“What do you want, Ravus?” Noctis asked in a neutral tone. Students were watching as they passed and I assumed he was trying not to cause a scene.

“What do _I_ want, Your Highness?” Ravus’s smile was nothing like Noctis’s. “What I want is for you to remember your place. If you are to be wed to my Luna, Six forbid, you should do nothing to disgrace her. Associating with those who are _beneath_ you will do just that.” Ravus’s aura chilled me to the bone. Like a hawk rising on the wind, I felt he was looking for an opportunity to strike. My eyes slid slowly to Noctis, who was carefully surveying the older boy before him. Maybe he did care what people thought of him after all.

“Well, thanks for the tip, but the only person who’s gonna be beneath me is your sister, so you can keep your advice.”

The inhalation of my next breath was sharper than any sword edge. I couldn’t bring myself to look at Ravus, let alone continue to breathe. The heat emanating off of Tenebrae’s prince could have rivaled the power of Ifrit himself. Unmoving, we were at a standstill in the hallway.

This. This is how I would die. It had been a mediocre, short life.

“Noct!” A voice rang out, breaking the tension, if only momentarily. Noctis and I both looked to see Gladiolus Amicitia headed our way, waving a thick arm in greeting.

Great. Here I thought the situation couldn’t get any worse.

The larger boy slowed as he approached, reading the mood instantly. If we were being truthful, you didn’t need to be literate to read it. “Ravus,” Gladio greeted cautiously, nodding his head before moving to stand on the other side of Noctis. If I didn’t know better, I would say that Gladio was showing his support for us. Ravus’s strangled expression of rage hadn’t changed since Noctis’s insensitive comment, but the silver-haired prince was too smart to fight where it would draw attention. Unlike Noctis, he was close to graduation and couldn’t risk detriment to his reputation. 

“You will get exactly what you deserve, mark my words,” Ravus seethed. Then, shooting daggers with his eyes at Gladio and me, he stormed away, closely followed by the other two students.

“Making friends already, princess?” Gladio murmured once Ravus was out of sight. I balked at Gladio’s blatant disrespect towards Noctis, then was surprised when the prince laughed.

“Don’t try to save me, you’re not my Shield yet. I can handle Mr. Tighty-whitey.” Gladio’s chuckle sounded less like the growl I was used to and more like rolling thunder on a mid-summer’s day. Awestruck, I observed as Gladio clapped Noctis on the back like any close friend might do. It had never occurred to me that they might know each other. Apparently, I didn’t know as much about my peers as I thought. In the middle of my contemplation, the bear of a human turned his attention to me and I shrank down, willing myself to disappear.

“What’cha doin’ with Argentum here?” Before I could escape, Gladio’s arm was around my neck, but to my surprise he didn’t squeeze. Instead, he guided me firmly down the hall, his arm resting on my shoulder as Noctis fell into a comfortable pace beside us.

“He’s my roommate,” Noctis answered elusively.

“Is that so? Well, forgive me if I call bull shit on that answer. I never hung out with any of my roommates,” Gladio retorted.

“You scared all of them off,” Noctis replied matter-of-factly. Gladio shrugged at that, not denying the claim. We entered the gymnasium as the second bell rang and went straight to the locker room to change.

“Just be careful, Noct. Your actions impact more people than you realize,” Gladio said while taking off his shirt. I tried not to look at his rippling back muscles, or the way his abs tightened as he pulled his sparring top on over his head, but damn, how did a high schooler end up looking like _that_? To my absolute horror, Gladio caught me staring. I half expected to be threatened, or maybe punched, but instead he winked in my direction.

“Like what you see, little boy?” He taunted. My face turned as red as a Lucian tomato and I immediately busied myself with putting on my own sparring clothes. Noctis let the conversation die with our flippant exchange, not willing to acknowledge that Gladio might be right.

Once we had gotten dressed we filed into the gym with the rest of our classmates and listened to Sephiroth instruct us on the different techniques required for daggers, short swords, and broad swords. I let his words wash over me, but I couldn’t absorb them. My mind was too preoccupied by what Ravus and Gladio has said. Helping the prince was all well and good, but what if I was getting in over my head? Things that Noctis did could have real-world repercussions. Was I doing the right thing by getting him thrown out of school? My form during drills suffered as a result of my distracted thoughts, but then again, it always suffered, so no one noticed.

At the end of class I sat back and watched as Gladio and Noctis paired up. Although they fought with wooden swords, they took the sparring more seriously than I would have thought. It was fascinating to observe one much larger student against a smaller one, especially since Gladio favored broad swords while the prince opted for a more reasonably sized ‘blade.’ They darted in and out of each other’s range, and it dawned on me that they had done this before. The familiarity—no, playfulness—reflected in every movement made me think on what Noctis had said in the hallway: “You’re not my Shield yet.” For some reason, watching them together made me feel more alone than ever before, even while being surrounded by my classmates. Surprised by my own reaction, I focused even more intently on the demonstration.

When it became obvious that no one was going to land a blow, Sephiroth held up one hand, essentially ending the drill. To the class’s delight, he clapped. “Well done.” Gladio and Noctis were both breathing heavily, a sheen of sweat on their foreheads, but adopted the same air of nonchalance. I had never heard Sephiroth compliment anyone before.

I thought that Gladio would go back to the usual routine once we went to World History, but it seemed like everyone was intent on pushing me out of my comfort zone today. “Hey, Argentum!” Gladio shouted as he jogged to catch up to me. I ducked my head at the stony-eyed stares I received from surrounding students.

“What?” I asked, trying to take any irritation out of my voice. If there was any, Gladio effectively dismissed it.

“Thanks for helping Noct, I know he can be an ass.” I processed Gladio’s words, not looking at him. Why was he thanking me? He obviously didn’t know what I intended to help him do. Gladio nudged me, knocking me slightly off balance and forcing me to look up at him. He was smiling, and in the time it took to blink, I was comparing his smile to Noctis’s.

Gladio’s smile was warm like a sunrise jutting over the edge of a mountain. In all the years I had known him, it had never once been directed at me, but now I felt its strength like sun-beams washing over me. Suddenly, I knew why people flocked to him. It was a smile someone would kill for.

“Don’t let him drag you into anything stupid. He has a knack for that.” The sunlight Gladio emanated was quickly obscured by the shadow hanging over my head. Damn it—should I say something? Now was my chance. I was opening my mouth, intent on admitting my sins when I was suddenly interrupted.

“Who has a knack for stupidity?”

Gladio and I both turned to look for the source of the interjection and found Ignis Scientia leaning casually by our classroom door.

“No one—

“Noctis,” Gladio finished for me.

“Ah.” Ignis pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with a sigh. I noticed that the green of his eyes appeared softer today, like fresh grass in spring time. It was enough to captivate any one and I was no exception.  

“Would you care to explain?” Ignis inquired, this time zeroing in on Gladio. Another first for today: seeing Gladiolus Amicitia squirm.

“Uh, well, our royal highness may have insulted a certain surly prince of Tenebrae.” Ignis did a slow blink and I stifled a laugh. It was what one would call a “what the fuck” look, and I knew it well.

“It seems we have much to discuss,” the senior class president exclaimed dryly before turning to enter the room. Taking his lead, Gladio and I filed in to find our seats. Mr. Valentine already had his lecture up on the projector, which gave me no time to talk to Gladio about what Noctis and I had planned. Maybe I was overreacting a little bit. At the very least I should probably voice my concerns to the prince before giving his plot away.

Halfway through class in the middle of a slide on the first Lucian king, Gladio snatched my notebook from off my desk to scrawl something on the corner of the page. I waited patiently for him to return it. When he finally did I stared at what he had wrote, not fully comprehending the sequence of numbers he had scrawled in messy handwriting.

 _“In case you need help with His Royal Pain in the Ass.”_ He had written beneath the 10 digits.

Gladiolus Amicitia had just given me his phone number. For the remainder of the period, I couldn’t bring myself to look at him, although every so often I could see the older boy glancing in my direction out of my peripheral vision. As soon as the bell rang, I bolted, not taking the time to put my notebook or pencil case properly in my briefcase so I could avoid talking to him or Ignis again.

If you asked me why I was so nervous, I couldn’t give you a straight answer other than the fact that I felt like my world was about to turn upside down. I was so used to everyone ignoring me that even positive attention made my stomach turn. Lunch with Noctis was uneventful, neither of us mentioning what had happened in the hallway before Tactics and Arms. I knew it was the perfect time to bring up my reservations about his plans, but I couldn’t convince myself to do it. Instead I sat quietly, resolving to do so later and ignoring the food in front of me. My appetite had disappeared entirely.

By the time I made it to my private session with Mr. Muir my mood had plummeted. The exhaustion I felt after spending a week with Noctis was finally getting to me, not to mention the added pressure of solving his seemingly impossible problem. Mr. Muir waited for me to finish tuning my guitar before clearing his throat to address me.

“You seem… out of sorts recently. Maybe you would benefit from doing something different?”

I knew it was bad if even my teachers were starting to notice. Thankfully, tomorrow was the start of the weekend and I would be able to sleep in a bit. I was trying to think of how to respond to my instructor, but Mr. Muir was already moving to hand me a small packet of papers. Before I could ask what they were he went on to explain.

“Miss Yuna is in need of a musician to play for her solo piece. I recommended you to her and said I would give you the sheet music to see what you thought.”

“Yuna?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise. The face of the kind girl I shared wall-space with in my advising period flashed in my mind and I felt my heart skip a beat. Mr. Muir nodded, smiling gently.

“I think your talents would be well matched. At the very least, it will give you a new challenge to focus on.”

 A new challenge? I have too many of those lately, I thought bitterly, but outwardly all I said was: “Thank you sir, I’ll look into it.” Muir left me to practice on my own after that, and I thumbed through the pages of Yuna’s piece, hands strumming over my guitar strings idly as I attempted a rough run through. The music itself wasn’t very difficult, and I found myself humming the melody as I picked it up. It was slower, but heart felt, making me wonder how Yuna’s voice would sound paired with the thrumming of the chords. By the end of my session my mood had lifted again and I set out for my room to take a nap before dinner.

When I got into my room I dropped by briefcase by the door and stripped down to my boxers before crawling into the top bunk. Sleep came easier than I expected, but it must have been due to the deficit of quality rest I had accrued over the last five days. When I finally woke, I noticed that there was a pale glow coming through the blinds. Everything was blessedly still, yet something was off. Checking my phone, I shot up straight in bed when I saw the numbers on the screen. Had I really slept all night and into the next morning?

Gentle snoring below me confirmed my suspicions. It appeared Noctis had come in and crashed last night without me even realizing it. With nothing pressing on my agenda I sank slowly back into the pillows and scrolled through posts on my phone, wasting time at my leisure.

Mid-term parent meetings were on Monday, followed by exams, yet I was still no closer to deciding on a strategy for Noctis than I had been at the beginning of the week. At this rate he would soon grow tired of me and lash out on his own. I thought back on Headmaster Izunia and my father’s warnings that I would have no future if I didn’t prove my worth and make meaningful partnerships at the academy. Everything was coming to a climax, threatening to overwhelm me. It was undeniable—I _was_ in over my head. There was no way I could handle something of this magnitude on my own.

Taking care to make as little noise as possible, I descended the wooden staircase to the floor and grabbed my briefcase. Slipping on pajama pants and a t-shirt, I padded silently out of the dorm and to the lounge on our hall. I was relieved to find it empty, probably due to the fact that it was early on a Saturday. Taking a seat on one of the couches, I fished in the side pocket for the business card Ignis had provided me with. Trying not to overthink things, I punched the number into my phone and hastily wrote a text:

_If you have time this weekend, can we meet? I could use your help._

In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting a response, which is why I was stunned to hear my phone buzz less than a minute later. Flipping it open, I read Ignis’s reply.

_Certainly. Where shall we meet?_

_The library?_

It seemed like a safe location and there was enough space for us to have some privacy even if other people were around.

_Excellent. Will two hours give you ample time to prepare?_

The speed of Ignis’s replies along with his direct manner left me flustered, and I was thankful that we were speaking through a screen instead of face-to-face.

_Yes. Thank you so much._

_My pleasure. See you then._

It had been easier than I expected to arrange a meeting with Ignis considering his usually packed schedule, but now I found myself with two hours to kill. Wandering back to my room, I showered and dressed. Since I didn’t have school I put on my nicest pair of jeans and a soft green t-shirt. Noctis slept through it all and I didn’t bother to wake him before heading to the cafeteria for breakfast. After spending a week sharing meals with someone it was strange to eat alone, but nothing I wasn’t used to. I loitered a little longer after I finished, then made my way to the library to await Ignis.

Although I was fifteen minutes early, he was already there sitting in one of the large booths near the back. I picked him out immediately because he was the only one there other than Ms. Trepe. He looked up when I walked in and waved. It was such a friendly gesture that I almost looked over my shoulder for someone else, but I remembered my blunder with Yuna and instead attempted to wave back, hoping I didn’t look like a total idiot in the process. Once I approached I saw he had brought a slew of textbooks. A pang of guilt coursed through me as I realized he must have thought I wanted help studying.

“It’s not typical for students to contact me on a weekend. Is there something on your mind?” Ignis wondered as I took a seat. He wore a striped white button down and dark wash jeans with leather boots. Even in casual clothing he was the most put-together person I knew.

“Actually, yeah, it’s about the prince.” I felt total honesty was the best policy at this point. Ignis raised an eyebrow and pushed the textbook in front of him aside, folding his hands primly on the table in-between us. Taking a deep breath, I told Ignis everything, even about how Headmaster Izunia and my father were putting added pressure on me to succeed. “I feel like everything has pushed me into a corner, but I don’t know if I can help Prince Noctis like he wants me to,” I admitted.

Ignis didn’t speak right away. Everything he did was planned and calculated down to the last detail. Still, it was a bit disconcerting to be subjected to his unyielding gaze as he considered my words. To my relief, he eventually sat back, placed his hands in his lap, and nodded firmly.

“I suspected as much.”

“Suspected…?” What could he mean? He knew about Noctis’s plan all along?

“Perhaps you were not aware, but my family has served the Lucian kings for generation as their trusted advisors. Since my birth, I have been trained to one day serve in such a capacity for Prince Noctis. When I heard His Royal Majesty was enrolling the prince at the academy, I imagined it was against his will and that he might retaliate. However, I could not anticipate his meeting with you and the complications that might cause. For that, I sincerely apologize.”

“O-oh, you don’t need to apologize!” I explained quickly, hands waving in front of me as if to put out a fire—a fire that I had started. Ignis Scientia had no reason to say he was sorry to the likes of me. 

“Noctis has a stubbornness that cannot be assuaged, regardless of reasoning. If you do not help him, he will most likely act out on his own, to his downfall, no less. For him to not consider how his actions might take a toll on those around him is truly unbecoming of a future king. I will speak with His Majesty on the matter,” Ignis decided. It was astounding how easily he could make decisions, but if what he was saying was true, that was what he had been trained to do.

“Won’t that make Prince Noctis angry?” I worried. Guilt welled up inside of me at the thought of betraying Prince Noctis without his knowledge. I suddenly doubted my decision to ask Ignis for help.

“Perhaps, but his father knows what is best for him. Thank you for alerting me to the situation.” Something in Ignis’s words rubbed me the wrong way. The older boy started to gather his things, assuming we were done. When he stood, I spoke up.

“What if he doesn’t?” Ignis looked down in surprise, head tilting at my brashness. My fists clenched under the table where they rested on my knees. “Please, Ignis, let me talk to Prince Noctis before you speak to his father.” I could tell from the look he gave me that Ignis didn’t think I would be successful, but he murmured a noise of affirmation.

I stayed in the library long after Ignis had left, planning what I would say to my roommate and how I could convince him to trust me after what I had done. After I had thought over every possible conversation and their outcomes, I gathered all my courage and headed straight back to my room.

Swinging the door open with one firm push, the prince looked over from where he sat at my—our—desk, feet propped up and phone in his hand. His hair was messy from sleep, and all he wore were a pair of light cotton pants. He must have just woken up in spite of it being nearly noon.

“I told Ignis about our plan,” I blurted. “Or, lack of it,” I went on as Noctis’s eyes narrowed. “I panicked, because my dad and Headmaster Izunia want me to ‘get close to you’ and be successful in school, but you want me to help you get thrown out and I had no idea how that would affect real world things, like politics or your life, and then there’s your dad—the king, so I’m sorry, I went to Ignis because he’s smart and—

It seemed like my hours of planning had been for nothing because I was rambling like a madman. Noctis stood and my words trailed off, lost in the storm cloud eyes that were now trained on me.

“You told Iggy?” Noctis demanded, irritation making his eyebrows furrow. He sighed heavily and I waited with bated breath. “So, he’s going to tell my dad about my plan to get thrown out. Good job, seems like you’re free now. I’ll figure things out on my own from here,” the prince said dismissively, sitting back down.

“Actually, I told him not to tell your father just yet.” Prince Noctis threw his hands up in dismay.

“What the hell do you want then? Are you trying to blackmail _me_ now?”

“What? No, I would never—” Noctis was talking before I could even finish my sentence.

“Why would you care what happens to me anyway? You’re just a low-life Niff bastard whose dad got him into school by sucking the headmaster’s dick.”

I had heard it all before, but I didn’t expect it to hurt like it did. The prince’s words cut me to the bone and left me reeling from the pain.

Over the last week I had been letting my guard down, but what did I expect? That the prince of Lucis would actually want to be friends with me? I was a damn fool.

“Stay the fuck away from me,” Noctis snarled.

Feeling somewhat dazed, I turned and walked out of the room. I didn’t have anywhere to go so I just wandered, allowing my body to lead me since my mind was preoccupied. My feet took me to the roof of the school, a place I never would have dared to explore if it hadn’t been for Noctis. Once I was sure that I was entirely alone, I sank down against a block of cool marble and cried.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 Songs:  
> "Popular Song" by MIKA - getting swept up into becoming more popular/associating with Prince Noctis & Co.  
> "Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance - for Ravus & Co, and to some extent, the feeling of fear Prompto has in regards to his peers


	5. Meeting Halfway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto and Prince Noctis find themselves at odds, but a spark of inspiration during Mid-Term Parent Meetings may be enough to set things right.

Prince Noctis didn’t talk to me for the rest of the weekend and I made sure to stay out of his way as much as possible. Time seemed to pass slower than usual, making me relieved when Monday arrived. I typically dreaded mid-term parent meetings, but at this point anything would be better than sharing the same space as my roommate. The tension in our dorm was so thick that it was difficult to breathe, so when the beginning of the week finally rolled around I got up earlier than usual and headed out before Noctis’s alarm went off.

Mid-term parent meetings tended to be a grand affair due to the social status of the academy’s students and their families. The cafeteria catered their famous breakfast in the auditorium and library for those waiting to meet with their teachers and everyone dressed their best, even the academy staff. I had opted for my formal black suit and a light blue tie that brought out my eyes.

The halls were already bustling with people, students with their parents and family members mingled in every corner. I found myself weaving in and out of clustered groups to retrieve food prior to my father showing up. There was no way I could face him on an empty stomach. Once I had piled a plate high with all of my favorites, I secured a small table in the library to wait.

At exactly eight in the morning, a chime rang out over the school’s intercom, followed by an announcement from Ms. Lulu in the main office: “Members of the Insomnian Academy, we will now commence Mid-Term Reviews. Honored guests, please refer to the schedule posted outside of the auditorium for your time and meeting place. Student advisors will be available in the event you have any questions. Thank you for your attention.”

Like clockwork, my phone buzzed. Pulling it out of my jacket pocket, I read the text from my father silently.

_I’m here. Where should we meet?_

_My first appointment is at 8:30 in the main office. I’m in the library._

I watched as a speech bubble animated on his side of the screen, indicating he was typing a reply.

_I’ll grab breakfast and meet you there._

It wasn’t long before my father to join me. We didn’t waste time on pleasantries since we only had a few minutes until my appointment. As soon as he arrived, I rose out of my seat and accompanied him to the main office, neither one of us speaking, which was honestly how I preferred to spend time with him. Ms. Lulu lifted her head as we walked up and then waved us in.

Mrs. Leonhart was sitting behind a desk wearing a conservative black pant suit when we stepped into the room, her dark hair pulled back to better frame her face. My father and I quickly took our seats as my advisor shot me a quick smile, but I didn’t return it. I knew how this would go and I didn’t want to give her a false sense of security. Hopefully I’d be able to find time to apologize later.

“Mr. Argentum—”

“Besithia, actually,” he interrupted. “Leonhart, is it? Wife of Squall Leonhart?” My father’s lips pressed into what could have been a smile or a scowl. It was hard to tell with him.

“You can call me Rinoa, Mr. Besithia. As I was saying, Mr. Argentum has done quite well with me this term. His art has grown by leaps and bounds. I’ve found he has a great eye for small details, and his other private instructors Mr. Muir and Mr. Highwind agree. He’s pleasant to work with, coachable, and works hard. I’m sure you must be very proud of him.”

My father sat back in his chair and I resisted the urge to look at him. I’d very rarely seen any of my professors speak to him so frankly, but Mrs. Leonhart wasn’t like most other teachers. It was one of the reasons I liked her so much.

“Proud of him?” My father repeated the words like he had bitten into something rancid. “Mrs. Leonhart, would you care to explain to me how being skilled in photography and music will make my son be successful in this cut throat world? Surely you are not blind to our situation. I know most people at this school speak of it in passing like they would the weather or the economy.” I could hear my father’s tone growing dangerously sharp and shifted in my seat, eyes on the space between my feet.

“Sir, I do not mean to offend, but surely you believe your son is meant to do more than just work and die? His talents should be celebrated, regardless of how ‘useful’ they might seem to some.” My father stood abruptly and I finally lifted my gaze. It was definitely a scowl on his face.

“Is this what you have been teaching him? I don’t pay for him to have dreams, Mrs. Leonhart, I pay for him to have a chance of making something out of himself. I will be in touch with Headmaster Izunia about his classes for next semester. Good day.”

As my father turned on his heel, it felt like the floor was falling out from under me. I knew the conversation wouldn’t go over well, but I hadn’t expected it to be a total disaster. In record time, my thirty minute session had ended in less than three minutes. Mrs. Leonhart was silent long after my father slammed the door behind him. Neither one of us knew what to say.

“Prompto, I…I’m so sorry. We will figure something out, don’t worry.” She didn’t sound too sure.  

For some reason her words opened a flood gate in me. With tears threatening I hurried to get out of my chair and bowed over the desk, hoping she wouldn’t notice my distraught expression. “Thank you for your time, Mrs. Leonhart.” Before she could say any more, I exited the office and went straight out into the hall, not bothering to mention anything to Ms. Lulu at the reception desk. I didn’t even look for my father. As far as I was concerned, he could have left for the day and it wouldn’t have made a difference. Why did I think things would ever change? I was only ever meant to be a pawn, whether it be for my father, Prince Noctis, or somebody else.

If I hadn’t been so wrapped up in my feelings I would have noticed the large crowd that had gathered on the opposite end of the corridor, but my own thoughts prevented me from checking ahead of me as I rounded a corner, colliding with an older man hard enough to knock me off my feet.

There was a flurry of activity and voices, along with a couple yells. I’m assumed several were directed at me, but I couldn’t make out words over the ringing in my ears and they sounded more panicked than I was used to. Still wincing from the sudden impact, I looked up through a vision blurred by tears to see three men dressed in black, two of which braced the man between them, who I assumed was the one I had bounced off of.

That man was none other than His Royal Majesty, King Regis of Lucis.

Blinking the water out of my eyes as quickly as I could, the other two men became clearer: Clarus Amicitia, the King’s Shield, and Cor Leonis, “the Immortal.” _Shit_.

King Regis seemed to have fallen as well, but had thankfully been caught by the two men accompanying him before ever hitting the ground. I was grateful for that at least. If he had been seriously hurt it probably would have meant the end of—well, everything.

“Hey kid, watch where you’re going!” Mr. Amicitia barked as I slowly got up, resisting the urge to rub my throbbing backside. Although he and Gladio didn’t share many physical traits, they both exuded the same intimidating aura. A snarling guard dog wouldn’t have been half as threatening.

“It was merely an accident, Clarus,” the king murmured. I saw then that he was holding a cane in his right hand. Since when had he used that?

Clarus Amicitia was glaring at me pointedly, reminding me of what I was forgetting. “S-sorry,” I belatedly apologized. “—your majesty,” I added for good measure. When King Regis smiled, it was like a fog had lifted.   

“No harm was meant.” He said it with such assurance, but I still blamed myself, even though I knew it had been an accident. I felt even guiltier as I remembered that this was Noctis’s father, the man I had been helping him scheme against—oh, and the ruler of Insomnia and all of Lucis. Was I committing treason somehow? I felt my stomach lurch at the thought.  

“Argentum?” An indignant voice came from over my shoulder and I craned my head around to look for its source. I saw Prince Noctis was heading directly towards me, storm-cloud eyes flashing with lightning. He was still angry and this wouldn’t help the situation. I was about to explain myself to him when the king spoke.

“Argentum? Prompto Argentum? Ah, so this is your roommate, Verstael Besithia’s son?”

Holy shit, King Regis knew my name. I should have been honored, but it only made me want to crawl under a rock and stay there for a very, very long time. Prince Noctis gave me a look that I read loud and clear: _Keep your mouth shut._

“Yes, this is him. I thought you weren’t coming until later.” He sounded irritated by the imposition his father had placed on him, which made me wonder at how anyone could speak like that to the king, regardless of the fact that they were flesh and blood. By now an even bigger crowd was forming and I could pick out the flashes of cameras. It was definitely even more pertinent for me not to speak now that all eyes were on us.   

“Your first appointment is at nine o’ clock. Surely, you weren’t planning on skipping it?” King Regis wondered, ever-so-slightly raising his eyebrows. My surly roommate made a face that comically mirrored my father’s scowl. “Come along, Noctis.” Although he chose not to argue, the prince still had enough fight in him to cast a threatening look my way before turning to follow his father. I observed with the other on-lookers as they meandered down the hall and out of sight before going about my own business.

My second meeting wasn’t until nine thirty and I wasn’t even sure if my father would show up. While I debated if I should go at all, I tried to find a place devoid of people. It wasn’t easy, but I eventually managed to secure a spot in the courtyard on an empty bench. Sitting back, I let my eyes drift up to the thick leaves of the tree behind me. I studied the golden outline the sun created around them, marveling at their beauty while simultaneously trying to quiet my thoughts.

“Has it been a rough morning?” Someone inquired gently.

I let my head snap forward, then straightened up in my seat when I saw that it was Yuna. “Oh, uh, it’s fine,” I lied, not wanting to complain to an almost stranger. She was wearing a flattering white dress that cinched at her waist and fell straight down to her knees, hugging her slender legs. One strand of hair was braided back with a crimson string, catching my eye.

“Did Mr. Muir give you my piece?” She wondered, hands clasping in front of her. If I didn’t know any better I would say she was nervous.

“Yeah, he did.” I racked my brain for something else to say, but words were escaping me.

“…what did you think?” She ventured. I wished we could have this conversation on any other day but today.

“I thought it was beautiful, but, um, my father probably won’t let me continue in my music studies so you might need to find someone else.” Yuna appeared to look genuinely disappointed, which I found strange. There had to be someone else she could ask for help, someone more talented and less of a social pariah.

“Maybe we could record it then? If you’re free sometime this week, will you let me know? …please?” To my utter shock, she came closer, pressing a piece of paper into my open hand. I barely had time to glance at it before she hurried away, leaving me to ponder her request alone. At least she was someone I didn’t mind doing favors for. Seeing that she had provided me with her number, I tucked the scrap into my pocket for safe keeping.

“You better forget whatever it is she just asked of you.”

I strongly resisted the urge to roll my eyes when I found Tidus Morita watching me from underneath a nearby tree. He must have eavesdropped on my conversation. It was no secret that he had a huge crush on her—well, to everyone except Yuna, of course. I vaguely remembered he was a talented athlete in some sport in his home world and also happened to be the youngest to sign a professional contract with a team there, but according to him his father had sent him to the academy to earn a respectable education in case his contract fell through. I suspected there was more to it than he let on though because any mention of his father would send him over the edge. In another life, we could have been friends, commiserating over terrible fathers together.

“Yuna has a real chance at being signed to a label here, you know? The last thing she needs is some nobody screwing it up for her,” Tidus warned. I was too tired to argue with him. In all honesty, my heart ached for the guy. He was just looking out for someone he cared about and I was getting in the way of that.  

“Don’t worry, I won’t be playing music much longer,” I replied, rising to leave the courtyard. This was turning out to be the worst mid-term review ever, but I had nowhere else to go.

Reluctantly, I decided to attend my next meeting, trudging up to the third floor where Miss Gainsborough’s office could be found. Still terribly early, I loitered in the hallway to wait for her current appointment to end. Surprising no one, my father did not make an appearance. What did surprise me, was when Miss G’s door opened and the king walked out, followed by his entourage and Noctis. Of course, we were in the same class, so I should have known they would have a meeting with Miss Gainsborough.

My gaze briefly met Noctis’s, but like two children hiding behind their parents’ legs, we immediately turned our heads away and pretended not to see one another. No one else spared me a second glance, except for my teacher, who stood in the doorway to her office, surveying me with her kind eyes.

“Mr. Argentum, please come in.” I did as she said, wanting to put as much distance between me and Noctis as I could.

When she shut the door, I was immediately met by the smell of flowers. Miss G had a large vase on the corner of her desk filled with an assortment of them, colored in shades of white, yellow, and pink. Light streamed in through the large window on the wall behind her, tinting the room a golden hue, and a shelf that reached to the ceiling was filled with books of varying age. The opposite wall held various black and white framed photographs of people and cityscapes I didn’t recognize, but were powerful in their compositions. I found myself sinking down into one of the worn out leather chairs in front of her desk as I took a seat.

My favorite teacher opened a thick notebook with bookmarked pages and sticky notes poking out of it, flipping to a page that had my name scrawled across the top in her neat handwriting. I could see a few bullet points beneath it, but the words were too small for me to make out from where I was sitting.

“I see that your father is unable to join us today,” Miss Gainsborough said lightly. Something in my chest tightened and I folded my hands in my lap to keep them from fidgeting. “You’re doing very well in spite of performing the work of two students.”

I looked at her, perplexed, but she held a hand up to keep me from speaking. “I know Prince Noctis doesn’t pay attention in class. I told His Majesty as much. You may not be royalty, but you have earned your place here, Prompto. I would like you to reconsider your decision to… ‘assist’ His Highness. If there is anything you need me to do, I can help you.”

She was so kind—selfless, really. I could not get her involved in this and risk her taking my father’s wrath, or anyone else’s for that matter. “I’m not sure what you mean, Miss G. I haven’t been helping Prince Noctis.”

“Prompto, he has written the same answers on his homework as you, yet he doesn’t take any notes. Would you care to explain that to me?” She asked, still patiently choosing not to judge me for my poor life choices. I shrugged, choosing not to give a direct answer. Miss G sighed heavily, shaking her head.

“I cannot imagine the position you are in, but I wish you would accept help, even if it’s not from me. His Majesty sent Prince Noctis here to become a responsible ruler, to grow up and learn how to make wise decisions. I think he would benefit from having a mature friend like you, but if you do everything for him he won’t change for the better, he’ll only remain immature and take advantage of his position. How is it fair for him and the other students to goof off while you slave away for little to no reward?”

It wasn’t anything I hadn’t thought myself, but I knew how this world worked. Standing up to the prince would get me nothing but trouble and rebelling against my father would make my life a living hell. Couldn’t she see? I had no choice but to keep my head down and do what I was told until I could escape their grasp. Who did she think could help me? The king himself? If anything, I should have been trying to think of a way to get back into Prince Noctis’s good graces.

Miss G seemed to be discouraged by my continued silence. “I will make sure to let your father know you are doing well in my class, but I would like you to ask yourself if you think it’s worth it to watch your classmates have more fun than they should while you suffer behind the scenes for their benefit. Certainly, His Majesty would be disappointed to know his son isn’t living an honest life.”

It was then that everything seemed to click into place. Jumping up in my excitement, I placed my hands firmly on the desk and exclaimed: “Miss G, that’s it!” She was so startled by my sudden change in mood that she was left speechless, gaping at me in disbelief. Too relieved to apologize, I laughed outright. I knew what to do now—how to get Prince Noctis expelled.

“Thank you, you’re the best!” I rushed out of her office, no longer listening to her pleas. I needed to tell the prince my plan before he wrote me off completely. As I scoured the halls in search of him I pulled out my phone to input a text message to Ignis Scientia.

_I’ve come up with a plan to help Noctis without him getting in serious trouble. Please, please don’t tell King Regis!_

After a few minutes of searching without any luck, I decided it would be worthwhile to try Headmaster Izunia’s office. Once I reached the stairs with the astral mural I was met by my father on his way down. Standing on the top landing, he glared down at me while I tentatively looked up at him, neither one of us wanting to speak first.

“My mind is made up,” my father declared stubbornly. I noticed then that his usually perfect hair was slightly ruffled, like he had dragged his hands through it.

“So is mine,” I retorted boldly. “If I get the royal family to support your research, will you let me take whatever classes I want?” I pushed the question out in the span of a breath, afraid I wouldn’t ask if I waited too long.

My father laughed, then said: “Certainly.” I knew he had zero confidence that I could do it.

“Good. Then give me to the end of this semester.” He eyed me more closely then, realizing I was serious in my request. After a few moments of agonizing silence, he nodded.

“If you do not secure the funding, I will make your schedule from now on. Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” I agreed. As he walked past me I kept my eyes straight ahead, refusing to show any sign of weakness.

“I will meet with the remainder of your teachers. I expect updates as you receive them.” I waited for my father’s footsteps to fade before letting out the breath I was unknowingly holding. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I took it out to read Ignis’s reply to my previous message.

_Meet me in the library._

With renewed resolve, I turned on my heel to find my way to Ignis.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 Songs:  
> "Gives You Hell" The All-American Rejects - Prince Noctis's general attitude throughout this chapter  
> "I'm Still Here" by John Rzeznik - reflects Prompto's feelings throughout this chapter


	6. Operation Prince Charming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto reveals his plan to Ignis, Gladio, and Noctis, and they work to begin setting it in motion.

“What are you scheming?” Ignis hissed, his hand firm on my arm as he tugged me behind a stack of books, away from prying eyes and ears. The library was busier than when we last met as students and their family members moved in and out between meetings, so we had to be more discreet.

“Okay, hear me out,” I pleaded. I told him my plan. It was clear from his body language that he thought it was a terrible idea.

“This is a terrible idea,” he confirmed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. I held eye contact for as long as I dared before he sighed again. “Very well. Gods know that he would do something worse if left to his own devices, but I demand to take part in this to help with damage control. It’s probably best to make Gladio aware as well.”

“Wait, why Gladio?” I demanded, squirming nervously at the thought of more people getting involved.

“Gladio and I are meant to be Noctis’s retainers. It’s only natural that we both assist you if it might impact his future.” I knew he was right, but it didn’t keep me from being reluctant. “Besides, Gladio at least might be helpful in this area,” Ignis admitted dryly. I recalled Gladio’s sunshine smile and couldn’t help but agree.

“Could you maybe help me to convince him? Prince Noctis, I mean? He’s sorta mad at me right now,” I admitted sheepishly. Ignis didn’t seem at all surprised, which gave me comfort that I might not be the only one who had found themselves in this position.

“Let’s all meet at my apartment this evening to discuss our strategy. I will send you the address. Arrive after Noctis and give me time to soften him up,” Ignis offered. Honestly, I was stunned at how quickly he agreed to help when just a day earlier he had been ready to tell King Regis everything, but I was too thankful for his assistance to comment on the sudden change of heart.

“Thank you, Ignis,” I said sincerely.

“Don’t thank me just yet. If this plan fails it will be all of our heads.” Ignis’s grave expression gave me pause, but I couldn’t turn back now. My future happiness and freedom were on the line.

With his assurance that he would handle things with Gladio, we exchanged goodbyes and went our separate ways once more. All that was left for me to do was wait. Since my father had promised to attend the remaining meetings, I opted to return to my room to get ready for the night.

I spent my time alone running through worst case scenarios in my head. By the time night fell I was too nervous to do anything except head over to Ignis’s place. It didn’t occur to me until I was about to set out that I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. My father never contacted me concerning my other teacher meetings, but I didn’t concern myself with his lack of communication. Like me, once his mind was made up it was difficult to change. With Ignis (and hopefully Gladio) on my side my chances of success were higher, if not still slim.

I wasn’t sure what to wear so I opted for dressed up casual—a dark pair of jeans and a long sleeve button down with brown leather boots. After fretting over it in the mirror I eventually decided to roll my sleeves, nervously readjusting an arm band I always wore on my right wrist.

Inputting Ignis’s address into my phone’s GPS, I set out of the academy and hailed a car using a separate app. One of the perks of attending school was the shuttle service. No students were allowed to have cars on campus so it was essential for getting to-and-from the dorms to Insomnia proper. I explained to the driver where to go and he didn’t ask any questions. Whenever I needed a ride back I could use the same app to send out a call for pick up.

Once we arrived and I stepped out of the vehicle, I craned my neck to look up at Ignis’s apartment building. It was relatively close to the Citadel, the heart and soul of Insomnia, and its white stone construction looked relatively new. I didn’t want to think how expensive rent was per month, but then again, Ignis probably didn’t have to pay for it himself. Checking the apartment number again, I buzzed in at the front gate. After a couple seconds a voice answered from the small intercom affixed to it.

“Prompto, please come up.” With another buzz, the gate unlatched and I entered the main lobby of the building before heading straight for the nearest elevator. The floors gleamed with fresh polish, an intricate tile pattern that reminded me of artistry I had seen at the academy. The elevator I took was made of thick glass and ascended from the side of the building. As it rose I was able to see Insomnia’s cityscape expand before my eyes, the illuminated buildings rivaling the gleam of the stars above.

I stepped off on Ignis’s floor and went to his door, knocking softly. He answered almost immediately and was wearing a long white apron over his school clothes. It looked like he must have been too busy to change once he got home. Adjusting his glasses like he often did, he held the door open and ushered me inside.

“Good evening, if you would remove your shoes there,” he instructed, motioning to a small shoe rack next to the door. Bobbing my head I began to do so, simultaneously inhaling the delicious scent of something cooking on the stove. My stomach growled in response and to my embarrassment, was acknowledged by my host.

“I hope you’re hungry. I made a stew.”

“None left—I ate it all!” Came Gladio’s booming voice from further inside the apartment.

“Tsk, he did nothing of the sort, don’t mind him. There is plenty leftover for you,” Ignis reassured me.

“That would be great, actually,” I agreed. Normally I would refuse, but the aroma had nearly made me faint with how much my mouth was watering. Ignis immediately turned to head into the small kitchen off the entryway and I watched briefly as he bustled around, grabbing a bowl and utensils before scooping a large portion of stew from a pot into the bowl.

“You may have a seat in the living room,” Ignis said when he saw me watching him. I did as he said, moving past the kitchen and around the corner to where a large open space with high ceilings met me. Gladio was currently sprawled across a low white couch, feet propped on one armrest and hands behind his head. A coffee table beside him pinpointed the middle of the room and had another couch and arm chair on the opposite side of it. On the far wall a sliding glass door and windows overlooked a terrace with an amazing view of the city below and behind the far couch was a stone fireplace with a mantle made of thick wood, above which hung a stylized map of the world. I stared at it for a moment before moving to the other couch to sit down.

Ignis entered shortly after me, setting the bowl in front of me on the table. “Thank you very much,” I exclaimed, bowing my head slightly. Ignis waved his hand as if to shoo my thank you away before moving to untie his apron. I was taking my first bite of stew when I saw Prince Noctis enter from a hallway behind Gladio. Our eyes met, but to my relief, he didn’t scowl like he did earlier in the day. Ignis, draping his apron over the back of the crimson leather armchair beside me, also took a seat. Noctis followed suit, joining me on the opposite side of the couch and leaving a gap between us.

“So, what’s this plan?” Prince Noctis demanded impatiently.

“Noctis, perhaps we could allow him a few minutes to enjoy his meal?” Ignis suggested. It was a gentle reprimand. Surprisingly, my roommate didn’t argue and instead sat back to prop his feet up. He had also changed into casual clothes, jeans and a black t-shirt with a subtle skull print.

“You’ll definitely enjoy it,” Gladio groaned from his reclined position. “I enjoyed it three times,” he added smugly.

Feeling eyes on me, I hurried to finish the stew when I would have rather savored it. The flavors were rich with just enough balance of spice, meat, and vegetables. Once the bowl was empty, I felt my body sink deeper into the couch in satisfaction. I looked to Ignis, who nodded encouragingly, signaling that I could begin. Taking a deep breath, I glanced between all three members of my audience before speaking.

“All right, so, the goal is for Prince Noctis to be kicked out of school. Fighting is too risky and could have political complications or reflect poorly on him. The same could be said about intentionally failing, especially because I imagine His Majesty wouldn’t let him flunk out. So—what is it that all parents want for their children? To be successful, to take their futures seriously, and to follow in their footsteps, of course. So then, what do parents hate? What would _force_ them to step in? Well, correct me if I’m wrong, but in theory, what if I’m successful at things that _won’t_ help my future? What if I waste my time on all the wrong pursuits? And _enjoy_ it, Six forbid?” I could see that I at least had Gladio’s attention because he slowly sat up to face me. Ignis’s face was carefully neutral, and I could see he was watching for Prince Noctis’s reaction.

“So, like I knew I was really good at something other than fighting and decided I wanted to do that instead of be the King’s Shield?” Gladio wondered with a curious expression.

“Exactly,” I agreed.

“Or if I wanted to pursue a relationship instead of devoting my life entirely to Noctis?” Ignis suggested dryly.

“Right,” I said emphatically. Prince Noctis sat forward then, turning to me now with a furrowed brow.

“Your plan is… for me to have _too_ much fun? Is that right?” He looked from Ignis to Gladio as if to confirm they were truly on board.

“Think about it—if you’re busy having a good time, making friends, hell, going to parties, even dating girls _other_ than Princess Lunafreya, do you think your father will stand for it?” I demanded. Prince Noctis blinked slowly, running a hand through his hair.

“Huh. All right, Argentum, it’s unorthodox, but I hate to say it—you’re right. It’s probably the best way to convince him to pull me out.” Ignis exhaled loudly in mild exasperation, but he had already come to the same conclusion when we spoke earlier.

“The trick will be being discreet while making His Majesty aware, which will mean strategic planning on our part,” Ignis commented sternly. Gladio’s uncontrolled laugh made us all turn to him questioningly.

“The plan is to turn Noctis into Prince Playboy? Gods above, this is the best plan ever. Have you even _spoken_ to a girl?” The older boy cackled with glee. To my surprise I saw Noctis’s face flush a pleasant pink.

“Shut up, Gladio, just because you chase anything that moves doesn’t mean I don’t know how to talk to girls,” the prince answered defensively. Ignis cleared his throat and the two immediately straightened up, although unwillingly.

“I suggest we attempt to control the situation as much as possible. Perhaps by throwing a soiree of our own.”

“You mean a party?” Gladio rolled his eyes at Ignis’s formality. “Let me handle that, Iggy, some of us have been at it for a while.” Ignis’s eyes cut over so fast that I almost jumped to get out of the way.

“Yes, I am perfectly aware,” he retorted curtly. 

Gladio and the prince both squirmed uncomfortably and I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing out on a vital piece of information.

“Very well, Gladiolus, arrange a party if you must, but it will need to be here in the city, not on campus. Rumors alone should suffice, we needn’t have Prince Noctis be ‘caught in the act,’ so-to-speak. So long as news can reach the teachers and staff and cause enough concern to contact His Majesty we needn’t go overboard,” Ignis explained.

“That means we’re going to have to invite someone who would say something,” Gladio pointed out as he folded his arms.

“What about Ravus?” My suggestion was met with a simultaneous cringe from the group.

“What about making sure Ravus found out?” Gladio amended my idea.

“Shall we invite Lunafreya instead?” Ignis asked casually.

“No!” “Yes!” Noctis and Gladio glared at one another after giving their conflicting responses. Ignis folded his hands in his lap, seemingly unfazed by either of them.

“Very well, there is time to decide on a guest list. In the meantime, let us set the plan in motion and begin brainstorming other options. Noctis, this will require you to actually be charming—do you think you can manage that?” Noctis made a rude gesture in Ignis’s direction, which was met with a chuckle. “Excellent, then let us all endeavor to do our best, shall we?”

Now in agreement, we spent the next hour discussing ways to improve Noctis’s popularity and image in ways that would be displeasing to His Majesty King Regis without causing the downfall of the kingdom—in essence, how to be a _real,_ rebellious teenage boy. Some of the ideas had us laughing to the point of tears and the ensuing bickering over them made me forget that the people around me weren’t my friends, but a means to an end.

It was getting late by the time we had developed a solid plan of attack and with classes looming, we decided to part ways. Ignis and Gladio hung back as Prince Noctis and I donned our shoes and headed out into the hallway to take the elevator down. We descended to the ground floor in silence, but as we stepped out, the prince turned to me.

“Do you need a ride?”

“Oh, um, I can use the shuttle, so…”

“It will be quicker to take my car,” he pointed out. I wasn’t sure whether it was a good idea to take the offer or not, but I figured we were in this together so we might as well start relying on each other.

“All right. Thank you.” Prince Noctis nodded and that was that.

His driver had been waiting and took no time in getting us back to the academy. Lights were already out by the time we arrived so we had to take a side entrance to go straight to the dormitories since the main building was closed for the night. After we got to our room I immediately prepared for bed and set my alarm. It looked like it would be another long day with little sleep.   

I was right, but I wasn’t prepared for the whirlwind of activity that would make up the remainder of the week. Whether it was in-class or outside of it, I suddenly found my schedule revolving around Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio. We ate together, did classwork together, and in the evenings, began to spend every waking moment together. It got to be such routine that I started to wonder how I spent my time before I met them.

I was finishing up some editing for my photography project one evening in Mrs. Leonhart’s room when I heard the door to the studio swing open. Leaning my body at an angle in my rolling chair I could see Gladio as he strolled in, dressed to kill in a leather jacket and jeans, hair slicked back. “You ready to go, Argentum?” He asked casually.

“Uh…? Where are we going?” I asked as I hurriedly shut my laptop and jumped up.

“Didn’t you get my text?” The larger boy questioned, head tilting to the side. I flipped my phone open as he finished the sentence to see one unread message from Gladiolus Amicitia.

_We’re going out at 7:00pm! I’ll swing by your cubicle and pick you up._

“Sorry, I guess I didn’t notice. I really should finish this…” I trailed off guiltily. With the deadline for the art show fast approaching I couldn’t afford to waste much more time, but Gladio was staring at me with such intensity that I immediately caved. Holding my hands up in mock surrender, I grabbed my jacket off the back of my chair and moved to follow him.

As we were turning to go, the door to the studio creaked open once more, and Yuna walked in, her face brightening when she caught sight of me. “Prompto! I was hoping I would find you here!”

I would have managed a perfectly acceptable response if it wasn’t for Gladio’s leering grin that seemed to magically coincide with her greeting. “O-oh-- h-hey!” My voice rose about three octaves.

“Do you happen to have any free time this evening to go through my piece with me?” She questioned hopefully, fidgeting with a bracelet she often wore.

Gladio folded his arms, body turned towards me. I very pointedly avoided looking straight at him, focusing all my energy on Yuna. “Um, I would, but Gladio and I—”

“Are going to karaoke! Wanna come?” Gladio cut in, coiling an arm around my neck casually. Yuna blinked, looking between the two of us with hesitation. Based on the heat my face was giving off I was positive I had to be a shade of bright crimson.

“I would hate to intrude…” she began, looking to me as if for some signal. Unfortunately, I had none to give her and Gladio immediately hijacked my response.

“No intrusion whatsoever. In fact, you two could work on your performance while we’re there. I’m a very attentive audience member.” I could have died. I wish I did—but then, something unexpected happen. Beaming, Yuna nodded, agreeing to Gladio’s invitation.

“Then, I would love to.”

“Great! Come on, we’re taking Prince Noctis’s car,” Gladio explained, clapping me on the back as he led the way. I had no choice now but to follow and pray that Yuna didn’t find me completely disappointing by the end of the night.

When we eventually piled into Noctis’s vehicle waiting outside, Noctis and Ignis only gave Yuna a cursory glance and, thankfully, asked no questions. Taking everything in stride, Yuna made polite greetings and conversation. It was amazing how seamlessly she seemed to blend with our eclectic group. Maybe there was more to my plan that I first realized.  

We pulled up to the karaoke shop and hopped out. Ignis had already made a reservation and spoke briefly to the front desk before leading the way to our room. As we all settled in, we perused the room menu and began ordering food and drinks (on the prince’s tab, of course). Once everyone had gotten comfortable, Gladio and Ignis on one side of the booth, me and Yuna in the middle, and Noctis on the other end, Gladio grabbed the remote and song list booth to begin flipping through options.

Conversation continued around me and I let it sink in to help ease my nervousness. Gladio picked a popular rock song that all of us knew and shamelessly belted it out to the cheers and applause of everyone assembled. As he sang, my anxiety melted away and I felt my body relax. Yuna clapped to the beat and even Prince Noctis began to tap his foot and sway to the music.

As the chorus returned, everyone in the room joined in, a perfect melody of varying pitches aligning to the original track. By the time it finally came to a close and a server arrived with our drink and food orders, we were all laughing.

“Way to go, Gladio. Who knew you were such a crowd pleaser?” Noctis teased.

“Watch and learn, your highness,” he boasted, obviously proud. Ignis smiled as he pushed the remote towards me and Yuna.

“Have you made a selection?” Ignis asked, directing it towards the guest in our group.

“Yes, I’d love to sing the song I’m hoping to perform with Prompto in the spring show,” she said, earning eyebrow raises from Ignis and Noctis.

“Argentum, you never mentioned this,” the prince chided, nudging me gently. The way he said it implied an emotion I wasn’t used to—awe, mixed with jealousy. I was suddenly thankful for the dimmed lights that hid the blush that colored my face.

“It will be played by him on acoustic guitar, which is more powerful compared to the original, in my opinion,” she explained as she selected the song. Everyone quieted as it began to play over the speakers. After a few beats she began to sing, and it took me two whole verses to realize I was holding my breath. The way she sang brought the lyrics to life, giving them more weight than when I played the song alone.

Without truly realizing it, I joined my voice with hers on the bridge. She faltered ever so slightly, surprised by my contribution, but I didn’t stop. We sang the entire song together as everyone else listened in silence. When the music stopped it was quiet for the span of three full beats before anyone moved. Ignis was the first to break the spell the music had cast.

“That was… truly moving. Bravo, both of you.”

“What Iggy said,” Gladio said gruffly. Were those _tears_ glistening in his eyes? I had to be mistaken.

“If you two don’t win with that, I’d be surprised,” Prince Noctis added, which made me realize they were being serious, not just poking fun. I snuck a glance at Yuna, who was smiling at me with unfamiliar warmth.

“I didn’t know you could sing as well. You’re not at all how people describe you,” Yuna said in amazement.

“Thank you—I guess,” I replied, rubbing the back of my neck in embarrassment.

“All right, all right, we gotta do something to top that performance,” Gladio boomed, cracking his knuckles impressively. “C’mon your highness, whatcha got?” I listened as Prince Noctis bickered with his future Shield over what song he would sing as I sank back on the bench. For some reason, for the rest of the night I found that I couldn’t stop smiling.

The evening drew to a close much later than any of us expected, but I suppose time flies when you’re having fun. As we were being dropped off at the academy, Gladio stopped Yuna before she exited the car.

“Hey, Yuna! We’re having a get-together at my place this weekend. You should come,” Gladio offered smoothly. I was surprised to see her first look at me before giving her answer.

“That sounds lovely. I’ll plan on it,” she agreed.

“Feel free to invite some friends, too!” Gladio smiled warmly before waving goodbye. Noctis, Yuna, and I watched as he and Ignis disappeared from sight, the driver setting off to take them to their respective apartments. Once they were gone, Yuna turned back to me.

“Thank you for a fun evening. I don’t get out very often. I’m very much looking forward to practicing with you this week.” She bowed slightly, flustering me all over again.

I didn’t have the heart to tell her I couldn’t—or shouldn’t, continue to collaborate with her—so I just nodded. After she had gone her own way, Noctis laughed loudly.

“W-what?” I demanded, unsure if I had done something wrong.

“Here I thought the plan was to make _me_ popular, but it seems like you’re benefitting too,” he commented without malice.

“Oh, uh, I doubt Yuna—”

“She’s definitely into you, man,” he interrupted. I pondered his words as we made our way back to our room, declining to comment. As a fellow teenage boy the prince’s observation should have made me happy, excited—something—but all it did was fill me with dread. Maybe I was broken.

“If you think I’m in it for me, you’re wrong,” I eventually said once we reached our dorm. Prince Noctis looked amused by my sudden declaration.

“No, I have no doubt what your intentions are—you wear them all over that blushing face of yours.” This instantly spurred blood to rush into my cheeks, essentially proving the prince right. “Just enjoy it. It’s all part of the plan, right—have fun?”

When we turned out the lights and crawled into our respective beds, I spent more time than necessary considering whether I truly understood how helping the prince could have lasting consequences that I wasn’t prepared for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6 Songs:  
> "18" by Anarbor - a summary of the "plan" to piss off Noctis's parents... and maybe some foreshadowing  
> "Work This Body" by Walk the Moon - Prompto's renewed resolve and hopeful spirit  
> "We Are Young" by fun. - the general feeling Prompto has spending more time with his "friends" and hanging out at night  
> "Call It What You Want" by Travis Atreo- head cannon for Prompto's voice with acoustic guitar. This isn't the actual song they sing at karaoke, but it gives you an idea of what his singing might sound like


	7. The Party of a Lifetime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party is a success, but Prompto finds out he may be in over his head.

I never in a million lifetimes could have imagined things would end up like this.

I could blame it on the alcohol. Or something more sinister, which I suspected, but had not yet confirmed.

But what about _him_?

His hands were on my waist, pulling me in by my belt loops. Warm, full lips pressed to mine—eagerly, I felt—I hoped?

And in the haze of heightened emotions and faint nausea that swirled inside me, there was something stronger pulsing just behind my temples: the desire to love and be loved by someone. It was all I had ever wanted, and it had only taken me fifteen years to figure it out.

**> >> That morning <<<**

“Ah, Mr. Argentum, please come in,” Headmaster Izunia beckoned. As I stepped into his office, I could see he was palming an orb of glowing light in his hand, feet propped up on the desk in an uncharacteristically relaxed pose. When I stopped a few feet short of him, the headmaster closed his fist, making the shining ball vanish effortlessly.

The red-haired man smiled in my direction, but this did little to reassure me. He had called me out of class unexpectedly, which had never happened to me before. My instincts told me it couldn’t be for anything good.

“Please, take a seat,” he urged while he, ironically, got to his feet.

I didn’t mean to disobey, but I was too nervous to sit. When the headmaster saw I had no intention of following his orders, he shrugged, turning to look out the large window behind him.

“How are things faring with Prince Noctis?” Mr. Izunia asked conversationally. “On all accounts, it appears you have been the perfect host.” I picked up on the hidden agenda beneath the headmaster’s words, like a Naga waiting to strike. Something told me I should proceed carefully.

“I hope everything has been to your satisfaction, sir,” I answered neutrally.

“Oh, yes, you should be commended. In fact, it’s quite surprising how easily you’ve acclimated to your royal roommate. Perhaps there’s more of your father in you than I first thought.”

His comment struck a chord—and it wasn’t a pleasant one. What was he implying? “Isn’t that what was intended, sir?” I asked, daring him to say something else.

“But of course! Like your father, I want what is best for you, Prompto. I just want to be sure you aren’t being misled in any way. I would hate for you to fall prey to any particularly nasty…royal appetites,” he said, looking over his shoulder at me as if to gauge my reaction. Lucky for me, I had a lot of practice controlling my expressions in similar conversations with my father.

“Royal appetites? I’m not sure what you mean, headmaster.” Outwardly, I appeared calm, but inwardly my mind was racing. Had he found out about the party already? It wasn’t until the evening.

In the span of a breath, the headmaster was directly in front of me, hands on my shoulders. I hadn’t seen him move. Breath caught in my throat, I stared at the top button on his vest and tried not to panic as he brought his mouth dangerously close to my ear.

“I think you know exactly what I mean, Mr. Argentum. After all, it runs in the family.” His murmured words felt very much like a threat. I could feel chills racing down my spine.

Quite abruptly a vision flashed through my mind of two shadowy figures looming over my head, speaking in hushed voices. A bright light blinded me from seeing their faces. It felt similar to when one tries to recall a dream—the gist of it was there, but the details eluded me. A strange pounding in my head made me wince with pain, and I was vaguely aware of Headmaster Izunia stepping away.

“Take care that you do not bite off more than you can chew, Prompto. I would hate to have to discuss any undesirable outcomes of poor decision making with Mr. Besithia.”

“Am I free to go now?” I demanded abruptly, tone sharper than I initially intended. I knew I had overstepped by the way the headmaster’s lips curved down at their edges.

“Of course. Forgive me if I made any hasty assumptions,” Mr. Izunia apologized. I didn’t wait for him to say anything else. Moving so fast that I became lightheaded, I rushed out of the office, not bothering to shut the door behind me.

The remainder of the day passed in a haze. I couldn’t focus in my classes due to a low-grade headache that I wasn’t able to shake, but there was no time to rest with the party looming. Even after realizing I couldn’t find my camera anywhere in Mrs. Leonhart’s studio, I wasn’t able to do anything except worry about what I was going to wear that night.

It turned out I had no reason for concern. When I returned to my room after an early dinner, Prince Noctis was waiting for me. “Here, this is for you,” he stated, holding out an outfit on a hanger.

I glanced down at the deep green suit jacket and patterned silk undershirt, confused. “For…me?”

The prince shook the clothes at me and I took them slowly with both hands. I could tell from the richness of the fabric that they weren’t cheap. “Is this…okay?” I wondered, knowing I probably shouldn’t accept them.

“Of course it’s okay. If you’re going to be my wingman I need you to look the part,” he said as he started to shrug out of his uniform. Casting my eyes downwards, I moved away from him for some measure of privacy and began to do the same. To my surprise, the shirt and jacket fit me perfectly and looked great with my nicest pair of jeans.

Noctis whistled, making me turn. He eyed me up and down in a way that made my skin grow hot, even though I knew he was only joking. “Now we’re ready to make some moves,” the prince exclaimed. He had changed into a light blue button down with a dark blazer, but had rolled the sleeves stylishly. His trousers were fitted to him in a way our school uniforms weren’t.

“If you’re wondering how I knew what size you wore, that was all Ignis. He’s all about details,” Noctis explained. I hadn’t wondered, but it made sense now that he mentioned it. My headache had intensified, which was made worse by the butterflies in my stomach. “Ready to head out? Gladio and Ignis took care of everything so I’m not sure what to expect, but I’m sure it’s going to be wild. Gladio has a bit of a reputation, you know.”

It wasn’t like Noctis to talk so much about personal things. I guess a week of close contact had changed his opinion of me. For some reason, Mr. Izunia’s voice saying, “royal appetites” chimed in my head.

Ugh.

“C’mon then,” Noctis urged, grabbing me by the wrist. His fingers pressed warmly against my cool skin.  

“Right—” I followed him blindly, pushing all thoughts of the headmaster aside to focus on the task at hand. After a week of preparation, it was finally happening. My crazy plan was being set in motion.

The sun was starting to set by the time Prince Noctis’s car arrived at the curb. He turned to me and offered one of his rare, true smiles, outlined by the setting sun that peeked through the trees behind him. Maybe he knew how nervous I was. I had never done anything like this. Less than a month ago, I hadn’t even had any friends to call my own. Part of me felt guilty for agreeing to use Prince Noctis to accomplish my own goals, but wasn’t he doing the same thing?

* * *

The music was pounding, reverberating in my ears and making my skin hum with every bass drop. Whatever I had drank made my head swim in a pleasant way. As I walked, the room appeared to tilt from side to side, forcing me to place my feet carefully. The party had started as soon as the sun went down, and it hadn’t taken long from Gladio’s modern loft apartment to fill wall-to-wall with people, most of whom I didn’t recognize. Not everyone who attended was from the academy, and it was clear that they weren’t all in high school either, but Gladio welcomed every person who came through the door with infectious enthusiasm, and the numbers kept climbing.

It was clear from how Ignis kept pulling him aside to speak in angrily hushed tones that he thought it was getting out of hand, but Gladio commanded the room like the captain of a ship—with charm and total control, or at least the illusion of it.

The loud music and dimmed lights made it easy for people to fade into the background, but that wasn’t meant to be my roll. I moved through the crowd like a shadow, aiming to make sure Gladio’s ship sailed. I’d refill drinks, clean up spills, make sure we never ran out of food, and most importantly, steer people in Noctis’s direction. I worked tirelessly at my task, and midway through the evening, I realized I was actually enjoying myself.

It was when I was crossing through the main room towards the kitchen to throw away a handful of trash, squeezing in-between bodies pressed entirely too close together, that I caught sight of a group of newcomers lingering in the entryway. In the midst of them was Yuna, flanked on either side by girls I couldn’t recognize, and trailed by one that I did—Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. I stopped in mid-stride, nearly shoving my handful of garbage into a person trying to walk around me. Too stunned to mutter an apology, I headed straight over to the group, setting the assorted items on a low table as I went.

Yuna saw me approach and smiled shyly. It was then that I noticed something different about her—she was wearing makeup. Her friends turned to look at me as I walked up, giving me a once-over that caused me to stop short. My nervousness suddenly returned in full force, and I was left speechless, eyes cutting over to Lunafreya, who was waiting patiently behind them.

“Hello Prompto,” Yuna greeted.

 _Say something. Don’t just stand here like an idiot,_ I thought.

“Hey,” I greeted, putting on what I hoped was my best smile.

“So, this is the one you told us about?” The blonde-haired girl to Yuna’s left asked. She was wearing a gold, sparkly skirt that hit above her knees, and a button down shirt with the bottom tied in a knot over her navel that looked suspiciously like part of a school uniform. The sleeves were pulled up to reveal multiple jangling bracelets, and her hair was pleated in intricate braids that were pulled up high on her head. Her green eyes reminded me somewhat of Ignis’s, but were all the more radiant for the golden eye shadow and dark eyeliner that highlighted them.

“Prompto, this is Rikku and Paine. They’re my best friends,” Yuna explained.

It was then that I turned to the girl on Yuna’s right. If Rikku was day, Paine was night, right down to her choice of clothes. The taller of the two, even with Rikku’s heels, Paine had short silver hair and was dressed in leather pants and boots with a matching tube top, sterling chains wrapped around her neck. The only color came from a red belt she wore with skulls etched into the fabric.

“Nice to meet you,” the girl said in a tone betraying no emotion. I shook her hand, noting how her belt matched her eyes.

Yuna herself was dressed like always, in a modest, but form fitting dress that was neither too risqué nor too boring. I wondered how she had come to be friends with girls like Rikku and Paine, but was too polite to ask. To be fair, one could easily look at me and Prince Noctis and wonder the same, so I had no right to judge.

I would have made more of an effort at polite conversation, but noticed that Princess Lunafreya was no longer standing in the doorway. Panicking, I immediately whirled around, but it was impossible to see her in the throng of people. I had to tell Ignis before Noctis saw her.

With that being the only thing I could think of, I left Yuna and her friends abruptly, head on a swivel as I searched the bobbing sea of bodies for one in particular. Although I had never drank alcohol before, there was something too tempting about the drink table as I passed it and I circled back around to pour myself another heaping cup of Gladio’s “One-Two Punch.” (His name, not mine.) Maybe it would help me not stress to the point of being a convulsing cactuar, a thousand needles shedding in every direction.

I became frantic when I seemingly searched everywhere without any sign of Gladio or Ignis. Thankfully, Prince Noctis was surrounded by a solid ring of people and didn’t seem to have noticed that his potential betrothed was among the party’s attendants. It wasn’t until I made my way to the upper level of the apartment to gather my thoughts that I stumbled—quite literally—into the source of my problem.

“L-lady Lunafreya!”

The princess was more beautiful up close, her platinum blonde hair neatly pulled back, not a single strand out of place. Her blue eyes widened slightly in surprise as we bumped into each other as she came out of the bathroom, but softened at my stuttered address.

“Hello, you look familiar. Have we met?” Although her voice was naturally gentle, it cut strongly through the pulsing bass of the music that floated up from below us. In all respects it was apparent that she was royalty.

“I’m Prompto Argentum—miss.” She laughed then, making me wonder how Noctis could intentionally avoid her. Her laughter reminded me of a bird coasting on a summer breeze.

“I’m Luna, it’s nice to meet you. Prompto, do you know where I could find Gladio? I need to speak with him about something.”

 _So do I. And it just so happens to be you._ Of course, I couldn’t say that out loud.

“Um, no, I’m sorry.” At least that was the truth. I decided then that she wasn’t the type of person that I could lie to, even if I tried. Maybe that’s why Prince Noctis was so adamant about hiding from her.

“Ah, I see. Then, would you mind delivering this message to him?” She pulled a folded piece of paper out of a small purse slung over her shoulder and held it out. I looked down at it, vision temporarily blurring so it looked like three hands holding three separate notes. I shook my head, trying to make it come into focus.

“Sure, it’s no problem,” I said, my own words echoing in my ears.

Before I knew it, I was standing alone at the top of the landing, Lady Lunafreya’s message clenched in my fist. I hadn’t seen her walk past me, but even after turning in a complete circle there was no sign of her, just the faint scent of flowers that she left in her wake.

It was then that I heard a murmuring of voices from down the hall and noticed that the last door was slightly ajar. I headed in their direction, feeling like I was walking on uneven ground. I’d only had two—three?—glasses of punch. Just what had Gladio put in it?

When I got to the door, I could recognize the deep timbre of Gladio Amicitia’s voice and paused, not wanting to intrude on whatever private conversation he was having, but at the same time thinking that the princess’s letter had to be of the utmost importance and shouldn’t wait. I stood there awkwardly, wondering if he might emerge and simultaneously resisting the urge to eavesdrop.

“Ignis, it’s going to be fine…” I heard Gladio insist.

“Yes, fine for _you_ perhaps. Have you ever considered that you might be enjoying yourself _too_ much?”

I paced the hall, debating if I should just knock and get it over with. Hmm, why did it feel like I was drifting at sea?

“You had your chance and didn’t take it. Shit, Iggy, you _told_ me…”

“…do not place the blame on me! This situation requires a levity I do not think—”

“You ever think that you think too much?”

Yes, knocking was probably my best option. From the sound of it, this had already been going on for a while and would continue for some time. I raised my hand to temporarily pause their bickering, but—missed? Overestimated?

Somehow, someway, I ended up on the floor in the bedroom, on my hands and knees, the door pushed wide open.

“Ugh…” My stomach lurched as I slowly lifted my head to see a very surprised Gladio and Ignis staring down at me from the edge of a bed. They were mere inches apart, Gladio with his hand wrapped around Ignis’s hip in a position that seemed too intimate for friendship. When I blinked they were both at a respectable distance, their arms crossed defensively across their chests.

Maybe I had imagined it. Hadn’t they just been arguing?

“Prompto, is something the matter?” Ignis asked calmly.

My response sounded far away. “No—this, this is for Gladio.” I dropped what I was holding and rushed to my feet, stumbling into the wall in my haste. Without waiting for commentary, I hurried back down the stairs, clinging to the banister to keep from falling again. For anyone watching it must have seemed comical.  

I saw Noctis from across the room as I descended, reclined in the corner of a sectional with an arm casually thrown around a girl’s shoulder. She leaned into him intimately and laughed at something he said, the crown of her blonde head nuzzling into his shoulder. There was a burning in my chest, but Noctis caught my eye then and grinned, sending the burning down into my stomach and through my legs. He started to untangle himself from the girl I struggled to recognize in the dark as I lurched into the kitchen, grabbing the edge of a counter top to steady myself.

“Hey, there you are! You left me without a wingman,” Noctis laughed. His cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, explaining his generous mood. I very pointedly kept my eyes on the space between my hands, the burning sensation only growing stronger with him in my immediate vicinity. That drink must have been stronger than I realized. “C’mon, you’ve gotta help me out,” Noctis slurred, arm going around me good-naturedly. Why was my whole body suddenly on fire now?

Before I knew what was happening, the ground was coming at my face.

“Shit— _shit!_ Prompto, are you all right?” I could vaguely feel the pressure of two hands around my waist, keeping me from going head first into the tile flooring, but more concerning than my sudden lack of equilibrium was what I had just heard.

Had the prince really just called me by my first name?

Before I knew it, Prince Noctis was tugging me up, supporting me by pulling me close—too close. His torso felt cool in comparison to mine and I shut my eyes, trying to keep the world around me from spinning to no avail. I followed his lead, the music rising, then falling, as he tugged me into a room away from the main living area.

I felt a soft bed beneath me and finally dared to open my eyes. Noctis was looking down at me with concern, eyebrows furrowed in consternation. “Wait here, I’m going to get Iggy. He always knows what to do.”

“N-no, don’t worry, it’s probably just something I drank…” I tried to think back, but my memory was hazy. How much _had_ I drunk? I vaguely remembered sipping on something as the crowd started to grow, just enough to calm my nerves. Then, again, without thinking when I was cleaning up one of the many messes I had found. I couldn’t let a completely full glass go to waste, after all. I guess it hadn’t been just a couple drinks, but how had it snuck up on me like this? I had been careless, which wasn’t like me. Nausea threatening to interrupt my thoughts, I sank into the comforter, one hand covering my face.

Time was blurring together, for it seemed only a second later before a chorus of voices began to chirp around me.

“What did he have?” a calm, collected voice inquired.

“I don’t know, I wasn’t watching!” Noctis exclaimed frantically.

“Could someone have done something to his drink?” a deeper voice demanded in irritation.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions—”

“I swear to the Six if Ravus or one of his lackeys—”

“If you were that concerned you never would have invited Lunafreya.”

“Luna was here?!”

“Best to let him sleep it off. We can take turns monitoring him. Let no one see that anything is amiss.”

I tried to listen more closely, but it was like the harder I tried, the more difficult it became. Finally giving up, I submitted to the darkness as it closed in around me, covering my body like a thick blanket.

* * *

“You’re drunk,” he murmured in the place in-between sleeping and waking.

The world moved in slow motion. Light streaked in my vision, making it look as if I were swimming in a sea of shooting stars. I had my hands curled in the folds of his shirt as I struggled to sit up and I could feel the thrumming of my companion’s heart beat as I pressed my face into the fabric, a steady anchor in a storm of visual stimulation.

“Prompto?”

There it was again. My name on his lips. Lips that hovered within reach. Before I knew what was happening, I had leaned in to plant a kiss on Prince Noctis’s mouth.

If I had been sober, I would have immediately regretted my irrational action. Truly, if I had been sober—I never would have kissed him. Every fiber in my body knew I had no right to do what I did. In fact, it surprised even me. I didn’t think of the prince in _that_ way—

Did I?

He paused, but didn’t pull away. I couldn’t see his expression in the dark, but I could feel our body heat intermingle.

Then—his lips brushed mine, carefully, cautiously.

Before I knew it, the prince’s hands were on my waist, pulling me in by my jeans’ belt loops. Warm, full lips were pressed to my own—eagerly, I felt—I hoped.

The shooting stars in my periphery grew brighter, flashing, illuminating his face. There was wonder in his eyes, accompanied by a realization of what we both felt in our drunken stupor.

I knew then that even though I didn’t want to admit it, Headmaster Izunia’s warning had been well made.

Not only had I bitten off more than I could chew, I was in over my head—and I was drowning.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 7 Songs:  
> "Here's To Never Growing Up" by Avril Lavigne  
> "C'mon" by Ke$ha  
> "Nights Like These" by Tano


	8. The Hangover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The consequences of the group's actions begin to catch up to them in an unpleasant way.

The rising sun had never been stronger than the morning after that party. It made the pounding in my head worse, even with my eyes closed. After several minutes of blinking I could keep them open long enough to take in my surroundings.

I recognized the bed as being the same one Noctis and the others had dragged me to the night before. Seeing a mounted pair of crossed katana and a calligraphy painting tastefully framed over the headboard led me to believe it was most likely Gladio’s room. He didn’t have many decorations other than a bookshelf in the corner and a few pictures of his family on small desk by the door, and the colors consisted of assorted grays and deep reds.

“Oh, you’re awake.” I looked towards the door, trying not to move too fast in case it made me nauseous.

Gladio was leaning against it, wearing only a pair of sweatpants while holding two mugs of a steaming liquid. As he walked into the room, I could tell from the smell that it was coffee. Holding one of the mugs out for me to grab, he sat on the bed beside me as I took it.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. I wanted to ask if this happened to him a lot—drunk people ending up in his bed—but thought better of it.

“Terrible. Like a truck hit me, then a train,” I moaned honestly, drinking the coffee like it was an elixir.

“There’s a reason it’s called ‘One-Two Punch,’ you know.” He offered one of those godlike smiles that had me melting down into the sheets, coffee mug obscuring my blushing face.

How had I ended up in only my underwear?

As if reading my mind, Gladio took a long sip of coffee before saying, “You, uh, kicked off your clothes in your sleep. They’re in the closet, if you’re wondering.”

“Thank you,” I said hurriedly, then went back to drinking from the cup so I wouldn’t have to speak right away.

What had happened? Had I dreamed it all? And where were Noctis and Ignis? Had they left due to my awful behavior? Anxiety climbing, I stared down into my drink as if looking for answers.

“How much do you remember of last night?” Gladio asked. His tone evoked the image of someone dipping their toes into a pool to test the water temperature. Swallowing hard, I shook my head noncommittally.

“Not much,” I admitted. _Just kissing Prince Noctis and probably committing treason for the third or fourth time this month._ Good gods, I had really fucked things up now.

“Well, you got pretty smashed. Was it your first time?”

_My first time—kissing a boy? Yeah, it sure was. Kissing anyone, to be exact._

When I realized Gladio was staring at me, waiting for a real answer, I nodded forcefully.

“Yeah, um, I’ve never gotten drunk before,” I confirmed. Gladio heaved a heavy sigh as he ran a hand through his already unkempt hair.  

“In the future, you gotta pace yourself, kid. You had us scared. You were saying all sorts of weird stuff in your sleep. Don’t worry though, we made sure Yuna didn’t see you like that.”

 _Shit, Yuna!_ I had forgotten all about her being there. “Thanks. Uh, where’s Ignis and Noctis?” I sincerely hoped my question had come off as casual instead of desperate. Gladio made a noise somewhere between a groan and a growl as he flopped onto the other side of the bed, glaring at the ceiling.

“Well, Ignis and I got in a little fight. Among other things, he thinks I invited Lunafreya even though I swore I didn’t.” _Other things?_ I wondered quietly to myself. “His royal pain in the ass went home to shower and sleep off the booze. He was nearly as sloshed as you by the time the night was over, but overall I’d call the mission a success.”

 _Did that mean he didn’t mention our drunken makeout? Or didn’t remember it?_  One could only hope.

Then I remembered the note Lunafreya had me deliver. “Wait—if you didn’t invite Lady Lunafreya, and none of us did, why did she come to the party? And what was her message for you?” Gladio didn’t answer right away, but he eventually did a crunch to sit up and downed his remaining coffee.

“She came to warn us. Apparently Ravus is still holding a grudge, and he’s got it in his mind to get revenge against all of us to get back at Noct. Don’t worry though—we’ll handle it.”

I recalled Ravus’s face the day Prince Noctis had joked about his sister and my stomach dropped. Even after Noctis had used her dignity against her brother, the princess had come to warn us? She really was on a whole other level.

 “I’ve returned,” I heard Ignis call out from downstairs, followed by the sound of the front door closing. Within a minute he was walking into the bedroom. I was surprised at how quickly Gladio got to his feet, but Ignis ignored him completely. “How is your appetite? I planned to whip up some breakfast to help us recover from last night’s…festivities.”

“Breakfast sounds great,” I replied eagerly. Ignis beamed, warming me all the way down to my toes.

“Very well, it shall be done. Gladio, do come help,” Ignis said commandingly. They both exited, giving me time to change back into my clothes from the night before.

After I took care of basic human functions and felt more like my normal self, I made my way downstairs to where Ignis and Gladio were busy in the kitchen. I sat at the island counter, pushing aside several empty beer cans to clear space to prop my head in my hands. Although they spent time bickering as they worked, the two older boys moved in a way that could only come from spending countless hours together. By the time breakfast was ready they were laughing and conversing normally again, all signs of their argument vanishing like it never existed.

The food itself was a godsend, soothing my aching head and stomach. By the time I was done eating I was so full that I could barely move and was ready to go back to sleep. Gladio offered to call a car to drive me back to the dorms, but I was reluctant to do so in the event Noctis was there. Instead, I offered to help clean up, and in spite of Ignis’s protesting that I had done enough and should rest, Gladio accepted.

So, I spent the better part of my Saturday cleaning Gladiolus Amicitia’s apartment from top to bottom.

“Man, Argentum, you’re like a machine,” Gladio exclaimed once I finally finished, several hours later. I shrugged before sitting back down in the kitchen for the second round of food Ignis has prepared. Gladio pushed a glass of red juice in my direction, which I eyed warily.

“What’s this?” I questioned.

“It will help with your hangover. Special recipe,” he laughed as I wrinkled my nose at it.

“Your special recipe is what got me in the mess!” I exclaimed as I took a giant gulp anyway. It tasted like fermented strawberries—and, cinnamon? In less time than it took me to swallow I was sprinting for the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before vomiting. I could hear Gladio’s booming laughter, accompanied by Ignis’s stern scolding.

“I hate you Gladiolus Amicitia!” I yelled before retching again. This was followed by another round of laughs.

Once I had expelled everything in my stomach, I washed my face and hands and reemerged into the kitchen.

“Feel better?” Gladio asked from where he sat on the kitchen counter, still shirtless in his sweatpants. Ignis was on his fourth cup of coffee although it was mid-afternoon and stood across from Gladio, leaning against the island.

“Actually…yeah,” I said in surprise. My stomach was no longer queasy, and my headache had disappeared entirely. I felt like myself again.

“Great. C’mon, I’ll call you a ride.”

My ride back to the academy felt longer than it actually was. I sat in the backseat of the car Gladio had called in contemplative silence, still not willing to go back to my room. As I was getting out of the vehicle on the academy steps I instinctively pulled out my phone, cycling through my limited contacts. After a moment of hesitation, I composed a brief text to Yuna.

_Hey, I’m sorry about last night. I think I’m going to the studio if you want to join me._

Trying not to think too much, I sent it before heading straight to Mrs. Leonhart’s room. She was gracious enough to provide her students with keys so they could work on their projects on the weekends. Spending some time on my photography would hopefully clear my head and calm my nerves before having to face my roommate.

To my surprise, when I walked in the lights were already on. While sound was muffled due to the soundproofing, I could hear the faint sound of music coming from Yuna’s cubicle and made my way quietly to the back. From where she was sitting, I could see her, but she couldn’t see me. She seemed to be deeply engrossed in the song she was singing. Unable to help myself, I watched her until she finished, a smile unknowingly settling on my lips. When there was a pause in the music, I rapped lightly on the glass door and she startled, whirling around in her chair.

“Oh, Prompto!” I could barely hear her say before she pushed the door ajar. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

“Sorry if I’m disturbing you. I, uh, was actually going to get some work done too.” Her eyes lit up and she turned back to her work desk, pulling open a drawer before pulling out something I was intimately familiar with—my camera.

“Oh! You found it!” I took it out of her hands before she could hand it to me, too excited to wait.

“I think someone stole it as a prank. I found it in one of the dorm lobbies,” Yuna explained with a frown, obviously displeased. “But it looks to be all right.”

“Thank you—thank you so much.” Overcome with joy, I hugged her.

“Ah—” Within the span of a second, her arms were around me, returning the gesture. “It’s the least I could do,” she added gently before pulling away. I searched her gaze, taken in by her mismatched eyes. For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

“Would you…like to practice our song?” She sounded so hopeful that I couldn’t say no.

“Sure, let me grab my guitar,” I agreed, spanning the few steps to my cubicle to snatch it out of the corner. Holding the instrument in one hand, I dragged my rolling chair over to her sound booth with the other. We crammed into the small space, our knees practically touching. As she got her equipment ready and set up a second microphone, I worked on tuning, strumming the strings and adjusting the knobs accordingly.

“Hey, um, I’m sorry about not seeing you much last night. Things got a little crazy,” I apologized unprompted. Yuna glanced over at me, then shook her head emphatically.

“You don’t need to apologize…but thank you.” She gestured to me then and I nodded, starting to strum out the melody.

She picked up with the vocals at exactly the right time. Once again, I was stunned by her talent and how easily she sang. When she got to the chorus, Yuna winked at me and I grinned, adding my voice to hers. She was right. There was something about the guitar that made the song all the more magical. Our voices in perfect harmony, we managed to get through the entire song perfectly the first time through.

“That was— _phenomenal_! You have real skill, Prompto,” Yuna exuded once we stopped.

“Me? What about you? You were amazing!” I crowed, more excited than I had been in weeks. Who would have thought that I could end up enjoying a collaboration this much?

“You know, you should really consider pursuing music as a career,” she added. With a small laugh, I shook my head.

“My dad would never allow it.” To my surprise, Yuna reached for my hand, grabbing it in both of hers. Our eyes locked momentarily and I could feel electricity in the air.

Yuna’s kiss was different from Noctis’s. Her mouth was shy and soft, unsure. Even though my lips moved to meet hers, I was remembering when I saw flashing lights and a sea of stars, but instead all I could focus on were the muted fluorescent bulbs overhead. When she eventually sat back, I felt nothing, just a subdued knowledge that I had made a mistake.

The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her.

“Well…say something,” she pleaded, obviously nervous. I searched my mind for words, but nothing seemed good enough.

“That was—unexpected.” I smiled, hoping it would soften the blow.

“I’m sorry if I assumed…” She clenched her fists in her skirt, making me notice for the first time the detailed cherry blossom pattern.

“No, no, it’s fine, really, I’m not— uh, I’ve never done this before.” She lifted her head curiously and then laughed. _Well, not with a girl, anyway._

“Okay, well, maybe I can see you again tomorrow?” Yuna asked as she began to gather her things.

“Yeah, sure. That would be fine.” _Damnit, why was I agreeing to this?_  She looked so happy when I said yes that I immediately felt bad, but the damage was already done.

“See you then, Prompto.” I waved as she bade me goodbye, then waited until she left the studio to collapse back into my chair, hand over my face. 

“Fuck,” I grumbled to no one in particular.

I spent another hour in the studio brooding over my life choices and trying to get some semblance of work accomplished. While my camera appeared to be in perfect condition, the memory card was missing so I had to look through my online archives to find the photos I had been using for my project. Once I had everything in order I tried to edit, but my heart wasn’t in it. So much for getting ahead.

By the time I made it back to my dorm room, the sun was beginning to set. I knocked to be polite before opening the door. Prince Noctis was in his pajamas, feet propped on the desk, playing video games with a headset on. He glanced at me when I opened the door and my heart stopped when he paused his game and pulled off his headphones.

“There you are, I thought you had died!” He laughed, which I took as a good sign.

“I, uh, was with Yuna,” I said, which was mostly the case. Never mind the fact I had spent hours with Gladio and Ignis trying to avoid seeing him.

“Oh.” He didn’t sound mad, but he wasn’t exactly thrilled either. “How’d that go?”

“We kissed.” I searched his face for a reaction, but there wasn’t one.

“Congrats, you went for it. Maybe now we can go on a double date,” he offered jokingly. I couldn’t control the frown that resulted.

 “A double date?”

“Yeah man, your plan is working. I would have told you, but you were passed out. I’m meeting up with a girl tomorrow night,” Noctis boasted.

“With Lady Lunafreya?” I asked dumbly. It felt like forever since I had seen her on the top of Gladio’s steps, but it had truly been less than 24 hours ago.

“No, not with Luna. Have you lost your mind?” Noctis retorted impatiently. Maybe I had. He might have said more, but my thoughts wandered elsewhere. Maybe I really had dreamed of kissing him. So why did I feel so disappointed? Shouldn’t I be relieved?

“…anyway, you should come—and bring Yuna with. Prompto, what is it?”

My mind snapped back into focus. “What did you say?” I demanded shakily.

“You should bring Yuna with?” Noctis was staring at me like I had the head of a malboro.

“You called me Prompto,” I pointed out. Was I really doing this right now?

“…that’s your name, isn’t it?” the prince demanded in irritation.

“You always called me Argentum before.” _Just drop it, Prompto_.

“Do you not want me to call you Prompto? I figured we were past all that,” he explained. I had no idea where we were and whether we should be ‘past’ anything. I was still stuck on the moment I kissed him, and I wasn’t sure I would ever recover. He shrugged, eyes turning back to the television screen. “If you’d rather keep it casual, I’ll call you by your last name.”

“N-no!” I stammered. Noctis sighed, looking to me once more.

“Which is it then? Make up your mind. Are we friends or not?”

Friends?

 _Just friends_? I wanted to ask, but that would have been beyond obvious.

Luckily, I wasn’t able to speak, for a new bout of nausea blossomed in my gut, choking out any words in my mouth. Running to the bathroom for the second time that day, I immediately threw up, nearly missing the toilet.

“Woah! Are you all right?” Noctis craned his neck to peer at me from where he was sitting.

“You can call me Prompto,” I sputtered through bile. “And yeah, I’m just hungover.”

_And heartsick. And in a shit ton of trouble._

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 8 Songs:  
> “Never Been in Love” by Will Jay  
> “Who Do You Love” by Marianas Trench  
> These two songs portray Prompto’s conflicting feelings and draw a contrast between his experiences with Yuna and Noctis.


	9. Damned if You Do, Damned if You Don't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After realizing he isn't experiencing a typical hangover, Prompto finds himself caught in another sticky situation

I didn’t wake up until past noon the next day, and by the time I did, Noctis was already gone. Checking my phone revealed a slew of text messages, which I read through in quick succession.

One from Noctis said:

_If you wake up any time today let me know if you still wanna double date tonight._

Another from Gladio:

_Yo, you up?_

_Wanted to make sure you weren’t dead. x__x_

_Let me know._

Ignis, shortly after:

_Gladio is worried about you. Are you all right? You haven’t responded in some time._

Shit, it looked like he had tried to call me too. Worst of all, Yuna had sent me a message two hours ago.

_I was thinking we might go into the city and get some lunch if you’re up for it. I had fun yesterday. <3 _

I groaned, letting my phone fall out of my hand onto the comforter. Why did I feel worse today then I did yesterday? Could I be getting sick? Closing my eyes did little to help how I felt inside, but I had no energy and certainly didn’t want to deal with people. After a minute of internal debate, I sent the same reply to everyone:

_Sorry for the late response. I think I’m coming down with something so I’m staying in bed today._

I didn’t wait for any replies. Within ten minutes I was asleep again.

* * *

“Hey, Prompto, get up,” Noctis ordered. I recognized the pressure of hands on my chest as he shook me out of my slumber.

“What time is it?” I asked hoarsely.

“Time to wake up,” he snorted. “Did you really sleep all day? That’s a lot—even for me.” He sounded mildly impressed.

Shit—it was Monday? Six above, I did not want to go to class. My body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

“Hmm, you weren’t kidding when you said you were coming down with something. Here I thought you were just wimping out on me,” he said mostly to himself as I pulled the sheets over my head. “If you’re feeling that bad, you should go to the infirmary. You want me to tell Miss Gainsborough you’re sick?”

_Tell her I’ve died._

“Yeah, thanks Noctis.”

He didn’t respond immediately so I poked my head back out from under the covers. His eyes were trained on his phone, fingers flying across the screen, undoubtedly in response to someone’s text. 

“No problem. Iggy will come check on you later. Rest easy.”

I wasn’t sure why he was being so nice to me. I guess it was a testament to how pathetic I looked. When I heard the soft click of the door shutting into place I inhaled deeply. My body transitioned from feeling as if it were submerged in ice water to feeling like it was lit by hellfire. Every time I attempted to swallow, the dryness of my throat would cause it to clench, but I was too tired to try and get a glass of water.

After struggling for nearly an hour to get comfortable, my exhaustion sucked me into sleep once more.

* * *

“He needs a healer. Something’s not right,” I heard Ignis say. There was no way to know how long it had been since I had last fallen asleep.

“Isn’t there someone you can call?” I recognized Noctis’s voice, but it wavered with uncertainty.

“Help me get him to the infirmary,” Ignis commanded before I felt arms slithering around my torso. Soon I was floating, my limbs as dense as lead hanging limply by my side. I tried to open my eyes, but it felt as if they were glued shut. My mouth opened and closed in an attempt to protest, but nothing came out.

They didn’t need to go through all the trouble to help me. After all, Noctis was right. I _was_ in this for myself. This had started as a way to prove a point to my father, but now I knew the truth. I had been selfish from the start.

I _wanted_ them to like me—Noctis, Ignis—even Gladio. I wanted to be important to someone, but how could I ever achieve that if all my relationships were based on lies?

_I’m not worth saving. I would be better off dead._

I swayed in the arms of the people carrying me, allowing my thoughts to move to-and-fro in tandem.

“Put him down carefully,” Ignis finally said before my body came to rest on something cool and soft.

“Please, you have to help him.” Noctis’s tone was humble, almost pleading. He sounded as helpless as I felt.

“I will do all that I can,” a refined voice answered.

* * *

My eyelids fluttered, opening to a bright halo surrounding the body of Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. She wore a white sheath dress with an apron pulled over it, her hair pulled back neatly like it had been the night we first met. It took me several seconds to realize that no, I wasn’t dreaming, and yes, she had an actual halo cast by the sunlight streaming in from the large window behind her.

She smiled down at me, cool fingers sliding around my wrist to take my pulse. “It’s good to see you awake, Prompto Argentum.”

 _Is it?_ I thought bitterly.

“You’ve been out of it for a few days. It seems you were cursed, but it appears to have broken now,” she explained.

 _Cursed? A few days_? The seriousness of what she was saying slowly sank in and I pushed myself up on my hands.

“You mustn’t move too quickly. You are quite weak.” My head spun, confirming her assessment and forcing me to immediately lay back down. I didn’t comment just yet, watching with fascination as Lunafreya did an assortment of tasks, writing down the numbers of vital signs on a nearby monitor and adjusting an IV bag hanging just above my head.

“Thank you…for taking care of me.” It seemed like the safest thing for me to say.

“I am sorry you ended up in this position,” she said with sincerity.

Why was she apologizing? It’s not like it was her fault. If anything, I was to blame for getting caught up in this mess. When I met Prince Noctis I should have just minded my own damn business and looked the other way.

“I’m sure your father will be happy to hear you’re awake. Would you like me to call him for you?”

I wanted to cry. I didn’t bother to tell her he probably would have been happier if I had never woken up.

“You don’t have to,” I muttered instead.

“It’s no trouble at all. And I’m sure Noctis and the others will be relieved as well.”

Noctis and the others, huh? They were probably happy to have been rid of a loser like me.

The princess removed herself from the room as gracefully as a dove. I could vaguely hear her talking over the phone not far away, but didn’t put in the effort to eavesdrop. Pushing myself up more slowly this time, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and put my bare feet on the tile floor, testing my strength. Although they shook, my legs held, and I was able to make slow, stuttering steps to the bathroom. The return trip to my bed sapped all my remaining energy and I flopped breathlessly back onto it as Lady Lunafreya reentered the room.

“Your father is going to come and pick you up in an hour. In the meantime, are you up for any visitors?” I stared at her blankly, wondering who the hell she could be talking about. “Noctis asked if he could come and see you,” she added for clarification.

Oh gods.

“If that’s what he wants,” I answered timidly. She nodded, smiling again before flitting away.

It was less than fifteen minutes later when Noctis entered the room, trailed by Ignis and Gladio. I wasn’t sure what day it was, but based on how they were dressed they must have come straight from class.

“Prompto! You’re alive!” Gladio exclaimed.

“You had us worried sick,” Ignis added as they all piled onto empty spots on my bed. I merely looked between them in disbelief, waiting for a reprimand or a cutting comment at my expense. Noctis had his eyes trained on me. Hesitantly, I met his gaze.

“Are you…okay?”

I tried to laugh, but it came out more as a croak.

“Why, were you worried?”

“Of course I was! What kind of question is that?” he demanded hotly, looking down at his hand. “If it wasn’t for us, you never would have gotten sick.”

He…blamed himself?

But it was my stupid idea to begin with. The party had been a raving success, after all! A raving…

 _Ravus_? _Ravus_!  

I froze in the midst of my thoughts and Noctis immediately lurched forward, grabbing both shoulders and shaking me. Gladio and Ignis reacted, reaching quickly in an attempt to pull him back.

“W-what?!” I yelped as his fingers squeezed tightly.

“You stopped breathing!” Noctis yelled accusingly.

“No, I didn’t, I was just thinking!”

“Don’t fucking do that!” he snapped before Ignis and Gladio managed to pull him off of me. I rubbed where his nails had dug into my skin. Gods above, what had gotten into him?

Lady Lunafreya stepped into the room then and everyone immediately straightened, including myself.

“Noctis, he doesn’t need any added stress from you.” It was as if the room dropped ten degrees. I shivered.

“Right. Of course not,” he agreed without looking at her. “Listen, Prompto, you can take it easy. We don’t need your help from here, I’m pretty sure we’ve got it figured out. Just focus on getting better—and if there’s anything I can do for you, let me know, all right? You’ve more than proven yourself,” Noctis explained.

I glanced up at him, not sure how to respond. His words left me feeling hallow. Was he trying to get rid of me now? The last time we spoke he had called me his friend, but this didn’t feel like friendship. I licked my lips, planning my next words carefully.

“Actually, there is something you can do.”

“What is it?” Noctis pulled his shoulders back and our eyes locked.

“My father. He needs more people to invest in his research to support me going to school here. I know he would love to meet with King Regis to discuss business opportunities.”

The silence that followed my bold request was nerve wracking and tense. I could feel both Gladio and Ignis stiffen on either side of me, and Noctis physically turned away to look out the window. If he hadn’t considered cutting ties with me before, he surely would now.

“ _That’s_ what you want? Really?” Noctis’s words dripped with venom, but it was too late for me to take it back.

“Yes…please. He won’t let me study what I love if I don’t get him an audience with your father,” I confessed. I knew I was destroying what little friendship I had built with Noctis, but I didn’t care. It was better for everyone if we never crossed paths again.

“…I thought you were different, but I guess I was wrong, Argentum. Well, it’s the least I can do since you’re helping me get kicked out. I’ll arrange it.” He still refused to meet my gaze. I kept my eyes on his back, wishing he would turn around, but he never did. Without saying another word, the prince left the room, brushing past Princess Lunafreya on his way out. Ignis and Gladio exchanged knowing glances before they got up to follow him.

I lowered my head, blinking down at my hands through a mist of tears.

“Prompto?”

I furiously brushed away the water from my eyes before looking up at Ignis who still lingered in the doorway.

“Do not hesitate to reach out if you need anything,” Ignis murmured. I said nothing. Once he realized that I wasn’t going to respond, he left.

My father came an hour later, as promised. Lady Lunafreya wheeled me to the front office in a wheelchair, which was beyond embarrassing, but I was used to being the topic of impolite conversation. After he signed me out for the remainder of the week and weekend (I learned that it was Thursday afternoon), I piled into his car and sat in silence for the short ride to my father’s research facility.

Real estate was already expensive in Insomnia, so instead of renting a house _and_ a building for his business, my father lived on the same property where he worked. I hated staying with him because the structure reminded me of a hospital. It was large and white with a sterile, cold feel to it, much like my father himself. Once we had entered through the front gates with a key card and parked in the modest parking garage on the premises, he turned to me with calculating eyes.

“Are you strong enough to walk?” His question betrayed the fact that he thought I wasn’t.

“I’ll be fine,” I insisted, but he was already on the phone with one of his assistants, asking for them to bring a wheelchair around.

The last thing I wanted was my father coddling me. He’d only use it to guilt me into doing something for him later. 

“What happened to you? The healer in the infirmary mentioned you might have been cursed,” he said after forcing me to take a seat in the wheelchair his assistant had procured.

“I don’t know, dad,” I grumbled, not in the mood to talk about it, especially not with him. He wheeled me through a set of sliding doors and into a nearby elevator, pressing the button for the basement floor where he lived.

“You wouldn’t have been cursed for no reason. Come now, Prompto, this may be important. Has anyone been antagonizing you?”

 _Why would you care?_ I wanted to say. I shrugged, hoping he would grow tired of the conversation and drop it.

“I’m not exactly the most popular guy at school,” I stated snarkily. I suddenly realized I didn’t have my phone on me. I wondered if it was still in my room back at school. That meant I would have no contact with anyone from school until I got back next week—which was probably for the best, but it also meant I would have to spend the next several days with my father as my only human interaction.

Yuck.

“I will be expressing my concern to the headmaster. There is no reason you should feel unsafe on school grounds,” my father persisted, temper flaring. Was he actually angry on my behalf? That was new.

I didn’t tell him that the ‘curse’ didn’t occur on school grounds. Then again, maybe it had and I just hadn’t realized it. Even so, all I wanted to do was forget any of it had ever happened.

“I’m hungry,” I exclaimed, hoping my father would latch on to the change of subject. 

“Did you have something in mind?” he asked as he wheeled me into the large open floorplan that consisted of our ‘home.’

“Can we get pizza?” I asked. My father rarely said yes to my food requests, but after a long pause, he nodded.

“Very well. I’ll place the order.” He walked across the large living area and past our open kitchen to a sliding door that led to his bedroom. After he disappeared, I pushed myself over to one of the long couches in sight and moved to lay down on it.

I hadn’t been home in what felt like months, but nothing had changed. For all his faults, my father had a tasteful, industrial-modern style when it came to home decorating. The metal and mechanical accents scattered throughout the floor plan lent themselves well to the clean lines and framed blueprints he used as art work. My bedroom was actually a lofty attic space near the kitchen, but it had direct access to the bathroom off of my father’s office and was cozy and private.

Deciding to make my way there I stubbornly left the wheelchair by the elevator doors and passed through the kitchen and around a wall to a narrow set of stairs. Clinging tightly to the railing I pulled myself past a curtain of low hanging fabric to where there was a narrow mattress framed by built in shelves. Reaching instinctively for a string in front of my face, I pulled down to illuminate the overhead lamp before crawling on hands and knees to the bed of my childhood. There were steps behind a short banister just on the other side of the bed that descended to the office bathroom. A TV mounted in the ceiling opposite the built ins floated just above a desk space. The only ‘wall’ in my room was actually a set of closet doors that held what little clothing I had.

It was a small space, but it was mine. I had spent many afternoons as a child playing there or reading while my father passed countless hours in his office. Sometimes, if I strained, I could hear his voice floating up through the bathroom door, but my father was too circumspect to speak loud enough for me to hear much.

I turned on the TV and waited until the pizza arrived. My father surprised me by bringing it to my room, something he never did. He had always been very adamant about eating at the dinner table, even if neither of us spoke. When he stuck his head around the curtains that served as my ‘door’ he wrinkled his nose as he gave the room a once-over.

“Feel free to stay in the guest room if it’s more comfortable,” he said stiffly.

“This is fine, really,” I assured him, feeling oddly uncomfortable in light of his concern.

“I will be in my office if you need me.” Leaving the pizza next to the bed, he went backwards down the stairs. A moment later I could hear the faint rustling of him entering the office.

Maybe being home wouldn’t be so bad after all. I ate pizza and watched TV until I started to get tired. Eventually I dragged myself down to the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed. As I was getting out of the shower, I heard my father’s agitated voice on the phone in his office. It wasn’t like him to speak loud enough for me to make out his words, which meant he was truly irritated.

”—I will not _calm_ down. How can I trust that Prompto will be taken care of while under your supervision?”

I leaned by head against the door, surprised to hear my name come up in conversation. 

“…you know very well that wasn’t part of our agreement.”

Who was he talking to?

“…allowing harm to come to him will hardly help my research! It is of the utmost importance that he remains intact. You are letting things get out of hand.”

Now he had my full attention. I pressed my ear flat against the metal, straining to make sure I didn’t miss anything. A bang on the other side of the door had me nearly jumping out of my skin, and I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep from making a sound. It seemed as if my father had thrown something against the wall.

“Don’t you _dare_ threaten me. If you have any plans to infiltrate Insomnia you will need my help to do it. Now do as I ask!”

Something else slammed against a solid object inside my dad’s office, but I was too stunned to move this time.

Had I heard him correctly? Infiltrate Insomnia? He couldn’t be serious! And why would the person he was talking to be responsible for my welfare? Something didn’t add up.

Holding my breath, I made sure not to make any noise as I tiptoed up the steps to my bedroom and pulled on a pair of boxers. Hearing some movement below, I hurried to turn off my light and crawl under the covers, pretending to be asleep while my mind raced.

It seemed like all the rumors were true. I was the bastard son of a Niff traitor. One who just so happened to be actively plotting treason against the crown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 9 Songs:  
> “B Team” by Marianas Trench


	10. Active Threats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Prompto recovers things come to a breaking point with Ravus

I kept a low profile for the remainder of the week, hiding in my room so I could make it seem like I was ‘resting,’ when in actuality I was spying on my father. Unfortunately, after that night he didn’t take any more phone calls and he gave no hint in normal conversation that he was plotting anything.

Most of the day he spent in a lab on one of the other floors of the research facility. Each level required keycard access, something I was not privy to, and his room and personal office were locked when he wasn’t home.

With no way to contact the outside world, I sat alone with my thoughts and tried to come up with a plan.

I could tell Noctis, but he probably hated me enough now to get me and my dad thrown into prison. What my father was plotting was a serious crime and the courts would not go easy on a Niflheim refugee.

I thought about confronting my father, but he would be enraged to know I had been listening in on his private affairs and would probably take me out of school as punishment. Unlike Noctis, I had no desire to up and leave. Graduating from the academy was my only chance at a ‘normal’ life free from my father’s reign and I wouldn’t throw it away.

With no proof, there was a third option—say nothing. After all, “infiltrate Insomnia,” could mean any number of things. Anyway, if I hadn’t been in the bathroom at the time, I probably never would have heard it and would be none the wiser. Why should I care what my father was up to? If I kept my head down and continued like I always had, maybe nothing would come of it.

Inside, I knew better, but for now, I pushed the issue aside. Soon I would be back at school and I wouldn’t have to worry about my dad’s dastardly deeds.

It was Sunday night before I felt like myself physically, and I was sharing a last meal with my father as he promised to drive me to school in the morning. We sat at the dinner table, he still in his work clothes, and me in pajamas that I had not changed out of since that morning. We didn’t speak.

His phone rang, and we both ignored it. Then, the house phone in the kitchen rang.

Frowning, he got to his feet. “Not many people have that number,” he said mostly to himself. As he left the table, my eyes panned down to his briefcase.

_Now’s my chance._

My chance to do— _what,_ exactly? Before I could think better of it, I looked over my shoulder to make sure my father’s back was turned before plunging my hand into the outer pocket. My fingers quickly found its intended target: my dad’s all access keycard. Slipping it out of its plastic sleeve, I shoved it into my pants and went back to eating as nonchalantly as I could, ears perked to listen.

“Yes, this is Verstael Besithia.” There was a long silence that seemed to last forever, but I could vaguely hear him writing furiously on a piece of paper. “Yes, of course. Thank you, I will come first thing tomorrow. Thank you very much.”

I’d never heard my father thank anyone so emphatically. He placed the phone on the hook and walked back over to the dinner table, but didn’t sit down. Slowly looking up from my plate, I surveyed his dazed expression in alarm.

“What is it?” I ventured to ask, curiosity getting the better of me.

“That was a call from the Citadel. King Regis has requested a meeting with me.”

I felt my entire body seize up, fork halfway to my mouth, which was left open in disbelief.

“Was this your doing?” he questioned in bewilderment.

I managed to give the slightest of nods. A week ago, I would have been thrilled. I was free now. I had given my father what I wanted, which meant he would make good on his promise to leave me alone.

But I wasn’t thrilled. I was terrified. My legs squeezed together beneath the table, the plastic keycard pressed between them. I knew now what I had to do, but didn’t know if I would be brave enough to do it.

“Very good, Prompto. Very good,” he said absently as he patted me on the head. “I need to prepare,” he muttered before picking up his briefcase. “Could you find a ride to school in the morning?” It wasn’t a question even though it was phrased like one. Not waiting for an answer, he went straight to his bedroom and closed the door.

Leaving my plate on the dinner table, I grabbed the keycard out of my pants and raced up to my room, shoving it under my mattress. Now all that was left was to make my decision.

I knew my father would notice that his keycard was missing, which meant I didn’t have much time before I would have to give it back. In any case, gaining access to his laboratories didn’t do me much good if I didn’t know what I was looking for. He had security guards and cameras everywhere, so looking for evidence of his plans would require careful planning. The more I thought about it, the more impossible the task seemed. I needed to buy myself time, but that would also require help. If only I had found out about this _before_ telling Noctis to give my dad an audience with the king!

I really was an idiot.

I didn’t sleep much that night, but my saving grace was that my father was gone by the time I got up. I used the school’s transportation app to find myself a ride and waited anxiously outside the main gate of the compound for the car to arrive. The first thing I needed to do was head to my room and find my phone. Even if it meant I was late, I would have to use it to get in contact with Ignis.

If he meant what he had said before, he was the best person to go to for help. I only prayed he would know what to do.

It felt strange to be back at the academy after a week long absence from classes. I wondered how much I had missed. I’d probably have more than my fair share of make up work and studying to do.

The first bell had rung by the time I made it to my dorm. Thankfully, the door was unlocked, because in my haste I had forgotten that I didn’t have my room key. When I walked in, both my keys and my phone were sitting on the edge of my bed as if waiting for me. The battery had died after not charging for several days so I plugged it into the wall and sat down to wait for it to have enough power to turn on.

While I waited, I looked around the room. There were signs of Noctis everywhere, from his clothes strewn hap hazardously over furniture to the half-eaten snack bags sitting on random surfaces, most notably a dusty textbook that he had never bothered to open. To my surprise there was a stack of papers on the desk we shared. Flipping through them it became apparent that they were copies of class notes from the past week. Had he been collecting them for me? My heart swelled at the thought, but quickly sank when I remembered how we had last parted.

I had really made a mess of things. I only hoped it wasn’t too late to set some things right.

The sound of my phone powering on captured my attention and I quickly set myself to the task of trying to compose a text message to Ignis, but I got distracted when I saw more unread text messages waiting for me. 

One from Yuna read:

_Prompto, I heard about your illness from Prince Noctis. I hope you recover quickly. I will be offering prayers for healing in your name._

I felt my throat tighten with emotion as I read it. How had I found such a genuinely nice person?

The next one was from Noctis. I read it several times through, trying to read between the lines.

_Prompto, we need to talk. I know you still don’t feel so hot, but it’s important._

_Sorry, I just realized you don’t have your phone on you. Forget what I said._

What had he wanted to talk to me about? The text was time stamped a couple hours after our conversation in the infirmary. After reading the cryptic message the thought of going to sit next to him in class was too painful to entertain.

It appeared like Ignis has texted me as well.

_Prompto, please do not be disheartened by Prince Noctis’s behavior. When you return we should meet up. Regards—I.S._

Inhaling slowly, I began to type out my response.

_Ignis, thank you for everything. I forgot my phone at school when I went home this weekend. Maybe we could meet up this afternoon after class? There is something important I need to talk to you about._

Once I sent it, I felt better. Now I just needed to make it through the day. Resigning myself to the fact that I would have to face Noctis sooner or later, I eventually forced myself to go to Miss G’s class. Much to my surprise however, Noctis’s seat was empty when I arrived. Part of me wondered if he had already been pulled out of school by his father, but I figured I would have heard about it somehow if he had.

“Mr. Argentum, welcome back,” Miss Gainsborough greeted me warmly before continuing her lecture. She didn’t even scold me for being late. I took my seat without a word and kept my head down, diligently taking notes until the bell.

In second period I made significant progress on my photography submission. It looked like I might actually make it by the deadline although I no longer felt invested in the outcome of the contest. So long as my father’s meeting went well, I wouldn’t need any prize money to keep me enrolled. This realization slowed my initially high motivation to a grinding halt, causing me to leave for Tactics and Arms early.

Noctis was missing again, leading me to believe he wasn’t at school. Even though I knew we were no longer friends, I hoped that he was all right. Gladio didn’t so much as look in my direction, which suited me just fine. It appeared that Mr. Crescent had moved on to teaching long range weapons during my absence, and we were all given magitek guns to take out to the shooting range on the backside of the school’s property. The range was tucked behind the church and greenhouse, pushed up to the edge of the trees. Students often practiced archery or spell casting there, but gun ownership was a bit of an oddity and deemed crude in high society, so not many students used them at the academy outside of Tactics and Arms.

 There was something therapeutic about putting on a pair of ear muffs and focusing on destroying a target. I lined up the bullseye within my sight and steadied my hands, pulling the trigger several times in quick succession. When I lowered the weapon, I found that my aim had been true. Ironically, I was bad at every fighting style, but gunmanship came naturally to me. After I had emptied my rounds, I stepped back to reload.

That’s when Sephiroth entered my sights. Putting the weapon aside, I inclined my head slightly.

“Sir?” I inquired with a tilt of my head, wondering if I had done something wrong.

“Well done, Mr. Argentum. Seems you have some hidden talents after all.” He moved on down the line as soon as the words left his mouth, giving advice to other students as I was left to absorb the praise. A couple rows down, I caught Gladio watching me.

Looking away, I reloaded my gun as the range supervisor replaced my target for a new one. I emptied another round of bullets until there was no red remaining and didn’t look back at Gladio for the remainder of class.

Before heading on to World History at the ringing of the next bell, I stopped in the bathroom. While sitting in the stall I checked my phone, hoping to see a response from Ignis, but there wasn’t one. Either he still hadn’t seen my message, or he was ignoring me. I prayed it was the former. 

When I walked in the door, Mr. Valentine lifted his head, turning it towards me. “So, you’ve fully recovered. Wonderful. We’re reading from Chapter 11 today, would you mind leading us, Mr. Argentum?” I was thrown off by the question, but nodded anyway. We didn’t often read aloud in class.

I saw Ignis in the front row, but his head was deep in his notes and he didn’t seem to acknowledge my arrival. Gladio was in his usual seat beside mine, but was flipping through his text book in a bored fashion, deliberately avoiding eye contact with anyone. Meanwhile, I could feel Ravus Nox Fleuret’s glare like a laser slicing me down the middle as I walked from one side of the room to the other.

I flipped to Chapter 11 as the second bell rang and stared down at the page. The title was: “The Rise of Niflheim.” Nervously, I skimmed the first few paragraphs. There was one in particular that I stopped on, a bead of sweat sliding down my forehead as I read quietly to myself.

_Chief Verstael Besithia, formerly of Niflheim, is well known as the father of magitek, a groundbreaking blend of magic and science based on the ancient technology of Solheim. His experiments led to the rise of the empire’s military might, as they were used to develop what are now known as magitek soldiers. However, due to unknown circumstances, Verstael Besithia fled Niflheim over a decade ago and sought refuge in Niflheim’s longtime rival, Lucis, eventually settling in the capital city of Insomnia._

“Mr. Valentine,” I blurted, raising my hand before he could ask me to start reading.

“Yes?” he asked, obviously perplexed.

“May I please be excused?” Everyone was staring at me, but it didn’t matter. There was no way I was going to read about my father in front of the class, even if it meant hiding in the lavatory for the rest of the period.

“Of course,” Mr. Valentine said reluctantly. I bolted from the room, no longer caring how it might look to my peers.

I sat in the bathroom stall for fifteen minutes with my feet pulled up on the toilet and my head tucked against my knees.

 _This sucks_.

How was I going to make it through the rest of the school year like this? Maybe Noctis had the right idea by wanting to get expelled.

Thirty minutes had gone by before I reluctantly left the stall. What I saw when I opened the door made my entire body tense. I was certain no one had come in to the bathroom while I had been in it—at least, I hadn’t heard any footsteps, but there, affixed to one of the mirrors, was a neatly written note on a piece of paper that hadn’t been there before.

 _‘Meet me in the church when you hear the fire alarm. I know who cursed you,’_ it read.

“Who—?”

There was no time left to think as I clamped my hands over my ears in response to the screeching that suddenly pierced through the air. Overlaying the terrible noise was a pre-recorded announcement:

“Please evacuate calmly and quietly. You should meet in your designated areas until the drill has concluded. Thank you for your cooperation.” The instructions played on loop and I deliberated between following them or the mysterious letter.

My body might have betrayed me, but my mind was made up. I had to know.

When I had managed to unfreeze myself, I exited the bathroom and headed for a nearby staircase. Students in the hallway were too busy making their way outside to notice me going in the opposite direction. By the time I got up to the third floor, there was no one to be seen.

I walked down the hall I often traversed alone before Prince Noctis had arrived at the academy. Before he had been assigned as my roommate, I spent a lot of free time in the chapel. Not praying, exactly, but wishing for a better life.

Obviously, it hadn’t paid off.

By the time I reached the tall wooden doors the siren had shut off, but its echo rang in my ears, making the silence that much more ominous.

I placed my hand against the weathered wood inlaid with spiraling patterns. Although they were built in the same style as Headmaster Izunia’s study, the church’s doors evoked a tender warmth that his did not. They had always served as a safe haven for me, but now I worried what I would find behind them.

Unable to resist temptation, I pushed them open with some effort and stepped across the stone floor. I was immediately taken in by the colors that danced along the walls, cast by six stained glass windows, each framing a different legendary Astral in all their glory. Walking past several wooden benches, I approached the modest altar which sat on a raised dais. There was another stained glass window behind it that stretched up to the spire. You had to lean your head all the way back to even glimpse the top of it.

It was while I was taking in the window’s beauty that I heard the chapel’s doors creak. When I turned to see who had summoned me there, I didn’t expect to see Ravus Nox Fleuret surrounded by a group of four other boys, one of whom was Tidus Morita.

 _Remain calm_ , I told myself as he approached, the other four lingering by the now closed doors, trapping me in the sanctuary with no means of escape.

“Argentum,” he said with a grin that made my stomach clench in terror. “How good of you to come.”

Even as he drew close enough for us to touch, I stood my ground, eyeing him levelly. “…what do you want from me?”

His hand moved so fast that I almost didn’t see it, but by the time I did it was already raking across my face. Pain seared through my head as I toppled to my knees, a distinct ringing in my left ear. I tried to look up, my vision blurred, and had the pleasure of seeing Ravus kneel down to grab me firmly by my hair.

“What is Noctis playing at?” the senior growled. I had no doubt then that he had no reservations about killing me. The fear chained my mind and body down, keeping me from responding right away. Ravus shook his fist, my skull jerking back and forth with it. I inhaled sharply from the pain and clawed at his hand instinctively, but his grip was impenetrable.

“Answer me!” he barked.

“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I protested, trying to keep my emotions from creeping into my voice and failing.

“Why the hell would he associate with a lowlife like you? Surely he is plotting something—now tell me what it is.”

I had nothing to gain by not telling him, but something within me remained loyal to Prince Noctis. It was stupid, and I knew it. That stupidity would be my downfall.

“I see. Perhaps, if you’re not willing to talk, you can be persuaded.” Abruptly letting me go, Ravus stood, pulling an envelope out of his inner jacket pocket. Through watering eyes, I blinked up at him, rubbing my head where it felt as if he had pulled out my hair.  

“Perhaps you wondered how you ended up with that curse in the first place, hm? It was meant to be a warning, but it seems you didn’t learn.” I wasn’t sure at first what Ravus was holding out to me. I eventually recognized it as a photograph, albeit dark and out of focus.

 _Oh gods. Oh gods,_ no _. No, no, no, no, no—_

The picture confirmed what I had hoped had been a drunken dream. It showed Prince Noctis and I in a precarious position, very obviously in each other’s laps, kissing at a party that neither one of us should have been at.

How had he gotten that photo?

The flashing lights I had seen—had they been camera flashes?

I couldn’t pull my eyes away as Ravus continued to speak. “If you devoted yourself to your studies, you would know that it’s rather simple to curse someone via an object they treasure. Considering your…friendship, with Yuna, it was natural to assume she would return your camera to you after we had used it for our own devices, setting the curse in motion. Honestly, I never would have expected to incriminate you both so easily, but it’s only to be expected of someone like you. After all, look at the depths your father stoops to,” he sneered.  

“What do you want?” I repeated, so softly that I thought I had imagined it.  

“Tell me what I want to know,” Ravus demanded, placing the photo back into his blazer for safe keeping.

“…Prince Noctis is trying to get kicked out of school. I…agreed to help him so he’d have the king meet with my father and support his research. I thought that if Prince Noctis was believed to be having ‘too much fun,’ His Majesty would reconsider his decision to enroll him at the academy.”

The words came out in a rush. So much for my loyalty. Ravus made a noise of disgust.

“How far he has fallen,” he spat in disbelief. Then, Prince Ravus’s rage returned in full force, earning me a kick to the ribs that I wasn’t expecting. The sound of bones cracking was dulled by a noise I belatedly recognized as my scream. 

“It’s because of your snake of a father that Tenebrae was overtaken! Without his precious ‘research,’ my home wouldn’t have been razed to the ground and Lunafreya wouldn’t be forced into a political marriage—and now, you _dare_ to interfere with even that?” Several more blows had me writhing, curling into a ball in a desperate attempt to protect myself.

I knew it was no use. No one was coming to save me. I was at Ravus’s mercy.

“I’m—sorry. I didn’t—”

Ravus kicked me in the same spot along my ribs, cutting me off mid-sentence. I heaved, choking from agony I never knew existed.

“Listen closely, Argentum. You are going to disappear. How you choose to do it, I don’t care. You are never to speak to me, Prince Noctis, or my sister, ever again. If you don’t do as I ask, I will ensure that photograph gets into the hands of every citizen in Insomnia, ruining you and your father forever. Do I make myself clear?”

 _Crystal_ , I wanted to say. I think I managed to nod. I couldn’t feel anything except pain.

“Lunafreya…would never approve of this…”

I’m not sure why I said it. I think in my delirium I envisioned the princess’s angelic face leaning over me like it had after waking from my curse. I most certainly didn’t think Ravus would hear me.

Apparently, he had the eyes and ears of a hawk.

I felt every injury distinctly as Ravus dragged my body across the stones of the church and behind the altar to the large stained glass window.

“Ravus—what are you doing?” I heard Tidus ask nervously. I wanted to know the answer, too.

There was the shattering of glass, and a rainbow of shards waterfalled across my face and rested on the hands wrapped around my neck. A warm spring breeze brushed against my cheek, intermingling with blood that pooled there. I looked into Ravus’s narrowed eyes, seeing the hatred and pain reflected in them, but I was no longer afraid.

I knew this was the end of me.

I thought I heard footsteps and shouting, but the ringing in my ears drowned everything out. Ravus’s mouth formed words that I couldn’t decipher, but I didn’t need to hear to understand.

By the time I realized my feet dangled in midair, his hands were loosening, releasing me to plummet three stories towards the ground below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 10 Songs:  
> “The Good, the Bad, and the Dirty” – showdown with Ravus  
> “Head Above Water” by Avril Lavigne


	11. Be Careful What You Wish For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight with Ravus ends up having unexpected consequences

Some people have said flying is just controlled falling. If that’s the case, I don’t think I would enjoy flying at all.

It was true that your life flashes before your eyes, but there wasn’t much for me to look back on. Mostly I thought of that if I survived this, all I wanted to do was apologize to Prince Noctis and beg his forgiveness.

I had closed my eyes, expecting the sudden stop that was inevitable—but it didn’t come.

Instead, there was a flash of blue behind my eyelids and the sensation of soaring.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself flying back through the shattered glass window, held in the arms of Noctis Lucis Caelum.

I momentarily forgot my pain as he sat me against the altar. He had a sword in his hand.

“Ravus!” he snarled, making my blood run cold. The prince warped to close the distance between him and Ravus Nox Fleuret, part of the church door buckling from the strike of Noctis’s steel as it missed its target. If Ravus hadn’t moved out of the way, his body would be pinned to the wood.

Chaos broke out as Ravus and his company engaged Noctis in a full on battle. There was a flurry of activity, and I struggled to differentiate between the bodies, aware that the numbers had grown at some point to include Gladio and Ignis. Flashes of light occasionally obscured them from view as magic was brought into the fray.

I had to do something to stop the fighting. They were going to kill each other if I didn’t.

Though my entire body protested, I got to my feet, shaking like a leaf, my fingers clinging to the edge of the altar for support. Pushing myself from the altar to the nearest pew, I sluggishly made my way in the direction of the fighting.

“Stop…stop it…” I begged, my breathing ragged. I took a moment to gather up all my strength before shouting as loudly as I could:

“STOP!”

Head lolling down towards my feet, I noticed that a pool of crimson was steadily forming around me.

Unable to support myself any longer, I collapsed.

* * *

“We have to stop meeting like this,” Lady Lunafreya said gently as I opened my eyes.

For the second time in a week, I had ended up in the academy’s infirmary.

So, I survived. Why wasn’t I overflowing with gratitude?

She was writing something in a chart, sitting in the same spot she had been the first time she had helped me. “What’s your tattoo for?” she asked, catching me off guard.

_Huh?_

I glanced down at my right wrist as she motioned to it. She meant the small barcode etched in my skin that I often hid with a wrist band. It hadn’t occurred to me that I wasn’t wearing it. Most likely it had gone missing after my first visit to the infirmary. It was strange that I didn’t notice it was gone—I never left my room without it. It just went to show how preoccupied I had been with all the drama surrounding my life nowadays.

“My father says it’s from where I was born in Niflheim. He told me to always cover it up, or Insomnians would know that I was a foreigner. Guess it doesn’t matter though—because of who my dad is everyone knows that anyway.” 

Lady Lunafreya looked puzzled. She was opening her mouth to speak when the door swung open, interrupting us.

I was stunned and more than a little perturbed to see Headmaster Izunia enter the room. Lunafreya got out of her chair, but he held up a hand to stop her.

“Excuse us for a moment, my dear,” he said smoothly, leaving no room for arguing. Bowing gracefully, Lady Lunafreya left without a sound.

I wished I could have asked her to stay, especially when the headmaster allowed his gaze to fall onto my bedridden form.

“My, my, what trouble you have gotten yourself into, Mr. Argentum.” Headmaster Izunia’s greeting sucked the air from my lungs. He began to pace like a caged coeurl and I was unwillingly mesmerized by his movement.

“Engaging in illicit activities? Attempting to assault a student—royalty, no less? Committing treason against the crown?”

My heart was racing so fast I thought it would burst out of my chest. Did he know everything, or was he just trying to scare me?

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” the headmaster wondered, stopping his pacing to face me.

“I didn’t assault anyone,” I claimed weakly, knowing this would do little to help the case he was building against me.

“Are you calling Ravus Nox Fleuret a liar?”

 _Yes, among other things_.

I didn’t like how he posed the question. It was as if he was trying to twist my words against me. To protect myself, I fell silent, unsure of how I would get out of this situation. 

“Your father will be here shortly. I suggest you consider carefully how your next actions will affect your future. You will come to the office when you are called. That is all.”

The closing door had a strong sense of finality. If I didn’t do something fast, I had no doubt I would expelled—maybe worse.

Cursing with every movement, I attempted to get out of the bed, searching frantically for my clothes. Lunafreya found me rifling through the bedside drawers, then rushed to my side, a deep frown marring her perfect features.

“Please, Prompto, you should be resting.”

“Listen, Lunafreya—princess—I don’t have time for that. I need my clothes and my phone, and I need to…”

I stopped abruptly, remembering Ravus’s threat. I had already talked to his sister. What did it matter if I spoke to Noctis, too? At this point my life was forfeit if I didn’t ask for his help. Short of a royal decree, nothing could save me.

“You need what?” she prompted, affording me more patience than I deserved.

“I need to speak to Prince Noctis. Please—will you help me?” She stared back at me with her brilliant eyes, eyes that I felt saw through me straight into my soul.

“Of course. I’ll call him. Please wait here,” she urged.

I was surprised at how quickly Noctis arrived. He was dressed in his school uniform, but it was an absolute mess. There were stains on his jacket and pants, and he was missing his tie. When he walked into the room I could see that his shirt had ripped in places by the way it gaped under his blazer. As he stepped under one of the fluorescent lights to take a seat next to me, I winced at the bruise that colored one side of his cheek. It looked like I wasn’t the only one who had taken a bit of a beating.

“Are you okay?” I asked. Lunafreya silently made her escape, forcing my stomach to do a cartwheel.

“Me?” the prince laughed, shaking his head. “I’m fine. How about you? You were tossed out a window,” he reminded me.

Oh, yeah. That _had_ happened.

“Fine—because you saved me.” I nearly kicked myself for saying something so trite, but Noctis smiled. I noticed that one side of his mouth didn’t stretch as far as the other due to the swelling in his face.

“Well, I wouldn’t have to save you if you weren’t getting yourself thrown off of buildings,” the prince pointed out.

“How are Gladio and Ignis?” I asked, remembering that I had seen them fighting too.

“Unscathed, of course. Gladio won’t let me live it down that I got punched in the face by Ravus, but I wouldn’t have turned my head if you hadn’t screamed like a banshee. The other guys look worse though.” I ducked my head, but he was still smiling when I looked up.

I held his gaze as long as I dared before glancing down into my lap. Suddenly nervous, I covered my barcode with my left hand. I wished I could stay with Noctis in this moment laughing and joking about our brush with death, but there wasn’t any time to lose. 

“Listen, Noct—Prince Noctis, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything that has happened, but I need one more favor. Headmaster Izunia told me my dad is on the way, and somehow, he knows…well, he’s saying that _I_ was the one who assaulted Ravus, and he mentioned ‘illicit activities,’ among other things. I don’t know what proof he has, but I think I’m going to get expelled.”

By the time I looked up at Noctis again his eyes were narrowed dangerously. “I won’t let that happen.” He said it with such conviction that I couldn’t help but believe him.

“…Prompto, I have to apologize too.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Unsure how to react, I merely nodded.

“No, I mean it. I haven’t been… well, I haven’t been honest with you. I wanted to tell you after the party, but I just couldn’t work up the nerve,” Noctis said. This time he was the one who couldn’t meet my eyes.

Could he be…? Was he trying to…?

“Knock, knock, your highness. We’ve got a problem.” Both of us whirled around to see Gladio standing in the doorway. Although we had done nothing wrong, I felt like a kid who had gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Ignis stepped past him, speaking to both of us. “All of our parents are en route to meet with Headmaster Izunia, even His Majesty. There isn’t much time. Noct, do I need to explain, or will you be running interference?”

“No, Gladio and I will go and handle it. Iggy, stay with Prompto.”

“But of course,” Ignis agreed right away. As Noctis rose from the bedside, he placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed lightly.

“I promise we’ll make this right,” he vowed. Then he was gone.

_Shit—I still hadn’t told them about Ravus and the curse, or my father. Should I tell Ignis?_

Ignis was watching me like one would watch a caged animal. I didn’t like the feeling that I was being pitied.

“I’m fine,” I assured him, unprompted. Why was I being so defensive?

“That’s a relief,” he replied easily. “When the fire alarm went off and you and Ravus were nowhere to be found, we assumed the worst. Gladio and I found the note in the bathroom when we went looking for you and alerted Noctis immediately. It seemed we arrived in the nick of time.”

Leaving the note behind had been a careless mistake, but it was probably the only reason I was still alive.

“Prompto, there are some things you need to understand before our parents arrive. Your meeting Noctis was no coincidence,” Ignis began.

“I know—Headmaster Izunia gave me a file on him and told me to make friends with him. Honestly, I’m assuming it has to do with my father. Ignis, I heard him talking on the phone with someone…he said he was trying to help infiltrate Insomnia.”

There, I had said it. It felt like a weight had been lifted from my chest.

So why wasn’t Ignis surprised?

“Yes, Prompto. That is exactly why all of us began to associate with you,” he explained calmly.

 _What_?

“What do you mean?” I questioned, wheels in my mind turning slowly.

“You were placed with Prince Noctis at the request of His Majesty. He suspected your father was up to something and wanted Noct to befriend you to see if he could find proof of the treachery he suspected. However, Noctis wanted no part in it and decided he would try to be expelled, but that didn’t go as planned either.” Ignis adjusted his glasses, pausing briefly.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This was a joke, right? While I was being told to try and establish a relationship with the prince, he was supposed to be spying on me and my father?

“I stole my father’s keycard—to his lab. I…wanted to tell you guys, but then all of this happened. Ravus is the one who cursed me, and he—he has something he can blackmail Noctis with,” I explained numbly.

Why had Noctis saved me? Wouldn’t his troubles be over if he had let me die?

“I see.” Ignis took a deep breath and went on. “Once you were attacked, Prince Noctis refused to continue working on his father’s behalf. When you asked for Prince Noctis to get your father an audience with the king, he threatened to expose His Majesty’s plan and was pulled out of school for a few days. He believed you were innocent and didn’t want to betray your trust.”

That explained Noctis’s absence and why Ignis and Gladio had avoided me all day.

“You could have just asked me,” I laughed blandly, but I knew that wasn’t true. If Noctis and the others hadn’t tried to befriend me first there was no way I would have sold out my father. They had to gain my trust—and use it against me.

Just like I had tried to do to Noctis.

I was such a fool to believe they would want to be my friend without an ulterior motive.

I should have told Ignis then about the photograph. After all, it could seriously hurt the prince’s reputation, but I said nothing.

Maybe I was more like my father than I thought.

“Prince Noctis will ensure that you are not punished for your father’s crimes.”

Ignis’s words did little to reassure me. Once it came out that my father was a traitor there would be no safe place for me to hide in Insomnia. Staying in school would be the least of my worries.

By the time Headmaster Izunia summoned us to his office I had become numb to everything. It was if I were underwater, all noises and movements muted and slow.

Because I was still too weak to walk on my own, Lady Lunafreya pushed me in a wheelchair. I imagined this was how animals felt as they were being led to the slaughter. Every alarm bell in my head was ringing, but I was powerless to do anything.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when we arrived. Ignis pulled one of the large doors open to let us inside, causing a row of heads to turn in our direction.

Assembled neatly in a line were all of our parents, my father with the largest gap between him and the others as he stood pressed against a bookshelf on the right side of the room. His Majesty King Regis was flanked by Clarus Amicitia and Cor Leonis, while a man I did not recognize mingled beside them. I assumed the stranger was there for Ignis by the way they nodded to each other as we entered the room. Noctis and Gladio were seated uncomfortably in the chairs in front of Headmaster Izunia’s desk, but all the adults were standing, stances suggesting they were ready for a fight.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem like anyone was there to represent Ravus or his friends. If there had been, the meeting surely would have ended in bloodshed.

Headmaster Izunia entered from a side door and traversed the room with all eyes on him. He moved with practiced precision and a slight smile on his face. Like an experienced actor, he portrayed only what he wanted to—right now, it was that he was in total control. When he finally came to stand behind his desk, his eyes swept across the room, briefly meeting all of those that were trained on him.

“Thank you all for meeting on such short notice under less than desirable circumstances,” the headmaster began, an undeniable smugness in his tone. I decided then that I hated him.

“While a member of House Fleuret was unable to join us, I believe we will be able to resolve the issue with those gathered here today. It seems your children have gotten themselves into a troublesome situation. If not rectified immediately, I dare say House Fleuret will seek legal action,” Headmaster Izunia stated matter-of-factly.

“Headmaster Izunia, would you be so kind as to explain what exactly this ‘situation’ is?” King Regis’s reserved voice held similar power to Lady Lunafreya’s. Although typically gentle, it carried a weight that only belonged to royalty.

“Oh, but of course, forgive me for not explaining more prior to your arrival,” the red haired man responded blithely. “Young Argentum, along with each of your sons, coordinated an assault on Ravus Nox Fleuret and have accused him of casting a near deadly curse that, unfortunately, was merely a result of their bad decision making. I am sure each of you are unaware, but it appears a…party, yes, a _party_ , was hosted by Mr. Amicitia where several students suffered the effects of alcohol poisoning. It was Mr. Fleuret who made me aware of this out of concern for their reputations, and the reputation of Prince Noctis’s betrothed, who also attended the social gathering.”

Ignis stood motionless behind me. I couldn’t see if he had any reaction to the boldface lie thrown in our faces, but both Noctis and Gladio visibly tensed in their chairs, fists clenching the armrests in an effort not to jump to their feet.

“Is this true, Gladio?” Clarus barked.

“Of course not,” Gladio spat, his anger reflecting how each of us felt.

“Unfortunately, it is. Mr. Argentum was one such victim, along with several others who have come to me personally. There is also photo evidence of the event, which is unflattering to say the least. Mr. Fleuret has explained to me that because he was vocally opposed to your sons’ choices, they decided to handle his dissension with violence to his person,” Headmaster Izunia went on.

 _Did this mean he had seen the pictures Ravus took?_ I felt a bead of sweat roll down my face. I prayed he wouldn’t reveal anything outright. He must have known I wouldn’t talk if he brought up that particular detail. Did that mean he had something over the others as well?

Knowing about the party meant that anything we said would be turned against us. We were already in the wrong, and Ravus knew he could use that to his advantage. Only we had seen what had happened in the church, making it his word against ours—but he at least had pictures to support his claims.

This was hopeless.

“What are you proposing, headmaster?” my father spoke. The other men in the room looked to him like they had forgotten he was there.

I could sympathize.

“Well, as you know, assaulting any member of a royal family is a very serious crime. I would be willing to go to House Fleuret on the young gentlemen’s behalf, however…”

“Yes?” King Regis urged.

“…I feel that suspension for all involved would be the first step, followed by a probationary period. Typically, I would recommend expulsion, but their records have been clean up until this point. I cannot promise it will not come to that though—

“It’s my fault,” Prince Noctis exclaimed, rising to his feet.

“Noctis?” King Regis demanded, his words sharper than before.

“I led the attack on Ravus. The others were just following my orders—and the party, that was my idea too,” he claimed. We were all staring at him now. It was like watching a train coming off the rails—horrifying and intriguing.

Why was he taking the fall? It was all my doing, not his. And why weren’t Gladio and Ignis saying anything?

“Oh, is that so?” Headmaster Izunia asked. He sounded as if he were inquiring about the weather, carefree as a bird.

“Noctis, what are you saying?” the prince’s father asked in disbelief.

“I never wanted to be at the academy in the first place. I figured if I caused enough trouble, you would pull me out of school,” the prince explained. “Please, Headmaster Izunia, don’t punish my friends for following my poor example. As future king of Insomnia, I take full responsibility.”

The silence that followed his bold declaration had my mind spinning in anxious circles.

“That is quite admirable of you, your highness,” Headmaster Izunia finally said. “If His Majesty is not opposed, I will suggest expulsion for Prince Noctis and a two week suspension for his cohort, assuming House Fleuret agrees to the terms.”

We collectively turned to the king. I was holding my breath from nerves, my heart pumping in my chest like I had just finished sparred in Tactics and Arms.

“…yes, I accept these conditions,” King Regis said with resignation.

Stunned, I could do nothing except watch with my mouth open as the headmaster exchanged several more superfluous pleasantries before dismissing us all. Everyone eventually filed out of the office, evoking the image of a funeral procession. There was no time for us to discuss or debrief on what had just occurred, as each guardian took their respective ward and left without a word.

My father, pushing me in the wheelchair, said nothing until we made it outside to his car outside.

“If you cost me this deal with the king, you needn’t worry about returning to the academy,” he said levelly as he helped me into the front seat.

Lifting my eyes to meet his, I responded in kind.

“You don’t need to tell me something I already know.”    

We didn’t speak again for the remainder of the car ride.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 11 Songs:  
> “Fighter” by Glee Cast – Prompto and Verstael, and to some extent Prompto and Noctis & Co.


	12. Misery Wants Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto's suspension leads to deep introspection and some troubling information

My father had barely wheeled me in the door before he was yanking me to my feet. The strength of the movement was so alarming that I almost slipped and fell, my broken ribs sending pain shooting through my entire torso.

“Ah!” I yelped in alarm.

“How _dare_ you embarrass me in front of King Regis and Headmaster Izunia. Your flippant attitude over these last few weeks is absolutely unacceptable. You have been a constant tribulation to me since the moment we came to Insomnia. How foolish of me to think you would make something of yourself. Now, give me your phone!”

“W-what—why?”

His words stung, but his grip was tight enough that I was losing feeling in my fingers, and I decided that hurt more.

 “Your phone, give it to me!” my father snapped.

“Okay, okay, let go!” I begged, the pain increasing as I struggled to remain standing.

My dad let go abruptly, and I flopped back down in the wheelchair, rubbing my wrist as it slowly regained circulation. With shaking hands, I fished in my pocket and grabbed my phone, holding it out to him reluctantly.

He took it aggressively before shoving it inside his jacket. “You’re grounded,” he added. “You are not to leave the premises until your suspension is up and you are to talk to no one. Is that understood?”

Glaring up at him, I said nothing at first, rage swirling inside of me. If it weren’t for him, none of this would have happened. I never would have moved to Insomnia. I never would have been enrolled in the academy. Prince Noctis wouldn’t have been made my roommate and I wouldn’t have agreed to get him expelled, which meant we never would have kissed. Ravus wouldn’t even know my name, wouldn’t have cursed or assaulted me, and definitely wouldn’t have gotten me suspended.

“If you weren’t so busy sucking Headmaster Izunia’s dick, maybe Prince Noctis and Ravus Nox Fleuret would have left me the fuck alone. This is all _your_ fault.”

The words came out before I could stop them. I had never seen my father look as stunned as he did then. In my entire life, I had never raised my voice to him. To be honest, I was just as surprised as he was.

I was less surprised to see his hand raise, making a loud smacking sound as it connected with my cheek. My skin was burning where his palm and fingers had fallen, but I refused to look away.

“Go to your room. Before I decide to do something I might regret later,” he snarled, eyes flashing with fury.

Although every fiber in my body protested, I got out of the wheelchair as quickly as I could and limped upstairs to my bed. I’d never wished for a door that could lock more in my life, but luckily my father left me alone for the rest of the day. He didn’t even call me down for dinner, and I didn’t bother eating.

With no way to contact the outside world, I decided to stay in bed and (figuratively) lick my wounds.

Thus began my long and monotonous suspension.  

For the next several days I avoided my father. It was easy to do, considering he was gone by the time I woke up and home long after I went to bed. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to do in my father’s house. One could only watch TV for so many hours before feeling like their brain was going to rot out of their skull, and with my phone confiscated I had very few options to entertain me. I got to the point that I resorted to cleaning and reorganizing my room—then the kitchen.

Staying busy was my only reprieve from the thoughts and emotions that plagued me. I replayed my last conversation with Ignis over and over in my mind, the discovery that Noctis and the others had only been with me to uncover my father’s treachery hurting more than any wound on my body. Sometimes I thought Ravus was right, and that I should just disappear. Then I would remember how happy I felt when I had spent time with them, even if it had been under false pretenses. Regardless of how Noctis and his retainers made me feel, one pervading emotion eventually won out over the rest: boredom.

Only four days into my punishment and I was going absolutely stir crazy. I was lying on my bed thinking I might try my hand at lock picking in an attempt to find my phone, which was undoubtedly stored somewhere in my father’s office, when I heard the dinging of the elevator doors. With it being the middle of the day, it was highly unlikely that it was my father coming home, but I strained to listen anyway in the event I needed to pretend to be busy.

To my surprise, I heard a familiar voice call out, “Prompto? It’s Mrs. Leonhart, are you here?”

I nearly tripped over my own feet in my attempt to rush down the stairs, then flung myself around the corner into the kitchen, still in sweatpants and a t-shirt.

“Mrs. Leonhart!” I exclaimed enthusiastically. After not having any human interaction since I had gotten home, I was ecstatic to have someone to talk to, even if it was only my high school advisor.

“Oh, Prompto! I’m so relieved to see you. I’ve been calling your father, but he hasn’t returned any of my calls,” she explained as she wandered further into the room. She looked around with interest, taking in the décor.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, he’s busy with work.” I knew it was more likely that he just didn’t want to talk to her, but didn’t want to say so. “Can I get you something to drink?” I offered.

“No, I’m fine. Do you have a moment to talk?” she asked as she set a folder on the living room table. She had also brought my briefcase that I had left in my dorm room, which she laid to rest on the floor. Nodding, I took a seat on one of the couches while she sat opposite me. Adjusting her knee length skirt idly, she took one more look around the room before returning her attention to me.

“There have been rumors circulating at the academy regarding your suspension along with Prince Noctis’s expulsion. I heard that you had assaulted Ravus, but I know better than that. I wanted to make sure you were okay with my own eyes,” she admitted.

“Thanks for your concern, but I’m fine. I just made a few bad decisions, that’s all,” I replied, lowering my head. I appreciated Mrs. Leonhart’s kindness, but like Miss G, there was nothing she could do to save me. Better for her not to get involved. My father already didn’t like her, and he wouldn’t take kindly to her visiting me without his authorization.

Mrs. Leonhart studied me for a moment in silence. I shifted uncomfortably beneath her gaze. “I hope you don’t mind if I submitted your project for the spring competition. I didn’t want the due date to pass and for you to miss it. Your father may not support you, but I would hate for your talents to go to waste—which brings me to my next point…”

She pushed the folder on the table towards me, gesturing to it. Cautiously, I pulled out its contents, surprised to find a school brochure with a packet on top. The brochure read: “Altissian Academy of the Arts.”

“What’s this?” I wondered while flipping through it.

“There is a wonderful art school in Altissia that I think would be a good fit for you. I’d be happy to write you a recommendation letter. In the meantime, I’ve brought all your notes for your classes. It will be difficult to catch up before your final exams, but I’m confident you can handle it.”

I took a moment to digest what she had just said, studying the image on the front of the brochure with interest. The beautiful city of Altissia was surrounded by a stylized Leviathan jumping out of the sea surrounding it. Below the image was a picture of the school itself, whose architecture rivaled the beauty of the Insomnian Academy. A school entirely devoted to the arts? And outside of Lucis? It sounded like it was too good to be true.

Which meant it probably was.

“Thanks for bringing my notes,” I said quietly, sliding the pamphlet and papers back into the folder.

It would do me no good to get my hopes up. I had already learned that it was too dangerous to have dreams of my own. I’d be lucky if my father let me go back to school at this rate. One more slip up and attending _any_ academy would be out of the question.

“Of course,” Mrs. Leonhart replied demurely, hands still resting in her lap. “My office number is on the first page of the notes. Please reach out to me if you need anything,” she urged as she got to her feet.

I stood politely, walking with her to the elevator and waiting as she pushed the “up” button. We stood in tense silence, neither one of us sure what to say.

Once the elevator doors opened, Mrs. Leonhart stepped inside, then paused. “I almost forgot—Miss Yuna left a note for you. She said she hasn’t been able to contact you by phone. It’s in the folder I brought.”

I attempted to smile, but I was certain it didn’t reach my eyes. Mrs. Leonhart stared back at me and shook her head sadly. What she thought of me, I couldn’t tell, but I could only imagine she was disappointed. The doors closed before she could confirm my suspicions.

I didn’t look for Yuna’s note right away. Instead, I pulled out a guitar I kept hidden in my closet and played her song.

The guitar was small—I had received it as a gift when I was child. Maybe for a birthday, I couldn’t remember. What had started as an innocent present to a young boy quickly fueled an obsession my father came to abhor. It needed new strings badly, playing slightly out of tune due to their age. I remembered staying up many nights after my father had gone to sleep, studying music by lamplight and playing as softly as I could so not to wake him. The instrument I currently used at school was on loan to me from Mr. Muir. I longed for the day I could buy my own guitar and play whenever I wanted.

Playing the music Yuna had shared with me made me think of the night we had all gone out to karaoke. It seemed like ages ago, when in reality it had only been a few weeks. I had been so happy and carefree then, even though I was still trying to impress Noctis and his friends. Part of me wondered if Prince Noctis and I could have even met if not for the circumstances that forced us together.

Probably not, but there was no point in thinking about that now. I would probably never see him again.

I effortlessly played the song over and over, having memorized it the week Yuna had given it to me. I hadn’t been willing to divulge to anyone how much I had practiced it. Every night before I went to sleep, I’d play the track on my phone with my headphones in and would strum the chords on my guitar whenever Noctis wasn’t around.

I hadn’t been able to return Yuna’s feelings towards me, but I still wanted her to think I was worthy of her. I didn’t want to disappoint her like I had every other person in my life.

How pathetic.

By the time I actually sat down to read her letter, it was past dinner time. I found it was wedged in-between two packets of notes in a small envelope. She had written my name on the front in flowing script, and I took a moment to admire it while trying to calm the butterflies in my stomach.

Breaking the seal, I pulled out the piece of paper and read quietly to myself.

_Prompto,_

_I miss seeing you diligently at work in Mrs. Leonhart’s room, and I’m sorry to say I had no idea what Ravus was planning._

_Tidus told me everything, and I am honestly appalled that you, Prince Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio were all so poorly treated for a crime you didn’t commit. Is there no justice, even in Insomnia?_

_I know you are unable to answer me, but I hope this message reaches you._

_I am still very much looking forward to singing with you in the spring competition if you are willing. I have been practicing every day, and I hope our winning performance might help you achieve whatever goal you might have._

_Maybe when you get back, we can finally have lunch together._

_Your friend,_

_Yuna_

I read the letter twice, on the verge of tears the second time through. What did I do to deserve her kindness? She should know better than to associate with me, yet she still wanted me to play with her in the spring concert.

She was making a horrible mistake by relying on me.

After sitting lifelessly at the table for some time mulling over her message, I eventually refolded her letter and tucked it away, carrying the folder back up to my room with the intent to study the notes within. At least having classwork to focus on would keep me occupied.

The rest of the evening was spent going over the work I had missed and ignoring the sound of my father in the kitchen as he came home and made dinner around midnight.

I wasn’t sure when I fell asleep, but I woke up surrounded by the paperwork I had scattered into different piles around my room, intent on repeating the process all over again.  

Time ebbed and flowed, but mostly dragged. I would eat, shower, study, play guitar, and sleep, then repeat. I would have taken the constant beratement of my peers over the mundane tasks I found myself saddled with. The two weeks could not go by fast enough.

I was nearing the end of my suspension before I received another surprise—a phone call.

I was busy at the kitchen counter, memorizing terms and definitions for World History when the house phone rang. Curious, I looked at the caller identification, but it was an unknown number. Tentatively, I picked the phone up off its base.

“Hello? Prompto speaking.”

“Prompto! Thank the Six,” Ignis’s voice responded heartily.

“Oh—Ignis, how did you get this number?” I asked numbly, unsure why he was calling.

“Well, I do have access to the academy’s database, being an office assistant. Finding your house number was relatively easy, but let us keep that information between us, shall we? I was calling to see how you are faring. You haven’t been answering your phone,” he explained.

“Yeah, my dad took it and I’ve been stuck in the house,” I knew my father would be furious if he knew I was talking to Ignis, but it was nice to hear another person’s voice.

“Ah, of course. Well then, jot these numbers down, won’t you?”

Not even thinking to argue, I pulled out a pen and paper and diligently wrote down the numbers he dictated.

“Those are mine, Gladio’s, and Noctis’s, respectively. In the event you are in need of us,” he went on.

“Why?” I interrupted, scoffing.

“Why…? Beg your pardon, I don’t understand—”

“Ignis, I got all of you in trouble. You could have been expelled. Besides, you didn’t get what you wanted—proof against my father—so why are you even bothering to continue this charade?” I demanded, heat surging in my face.

“…is that your wish?” Ignis questioned quietly. “For us to leave you alone?”

I didn’t answer immediately, a mix of emotions bubbling up inside me.

“You mentioned to me that you had stolen your father’s keycard and were concerned he was conspiring against the crown. I know it will do little to fix the damage that has been done, but Prompto, if you are able to prove your suspicions, I can promise we will do everything in our power to ensure you are spared. To be frank, your father is a dangerous man, and not suitable to be your guardian. I know we deceived you, but our belief in your innocence is what convinced us to abandon King Regis’s plan and befriend you,” Ignis explained. I listened, unsure whether to believe him or not. I had already been burned once, and how did I know he wasn’t just saying all of this to get me to betray my father?

For all of his flaws, my father had always taken care of me. He had pushed me to be the best I could be because he didn’t want me to fall prey to his reputation. I’d never told him about all of the bullying or the darkness I found myself in on a daily basis, so how would he know what I was going through? Wasn’t his frustration with my reluctance to make something of myself normal for any parent who had sacrificed everything for their child? I had embarrassed him, then thrown the worst of all the rumors I had heard in his face.

If anything, I owed him an apology.

“Please,” Ignis pleaded, interjecting into my internal monologue. “Prompto, let us help you.”

“Help me?” I questioned in a flat tone. “If you wanted to help me, you never would have let me get involved with Prince Noctis. Goodbye, Ignis.”

I hung up, and he didn’t call back.

To get my mind off of the conversation I dived into my studies, creating flash cards for everything I could think of until my eyes couldn’t hold themselves open anymore.

My rude awakening came in the form of the hardwood floor violently embracing my entire body as something pulled me off of the couch where I had unintentionally dozed off.

“Ow, fuck—

I cursed without thinking, groggily rubbing my head where it had smacked the ground before blinking up at my father who towered over me. He held the brochure for the Altissian Academy of the Arts tightly in one hand, shoving it under my nose.

“What in the Six’s names is this?” he seethed menacingly.

“That—Mrs. Leonhart came by—

“Mrs. Leonhart?” he asked, dumbfounded. “What part of a ‘speak to no one’ did you misunderstand?” I watched as he ripped the pamphlet into multiple pieces, throwing its remains so that they landed with a flurry on my chest. 

“She just came to drop off notes,” I began to explain, but he was already turning away.

“Pack your things,” my father ordered ominously.

“Pack? Why? Where are we going?” Ignoring the ache in my back, I got up, attempting to follow him. He was entering his office, intent on closing the door behind him, but I slammed my hand against it, propping it open with my arm.

“Please, father, it’s nothing, she was just trying to help!” I protested, bordering on frantic.

“You will not be returning to the academy,” he explained stonily. Stunned, I stepped back, permitting him to slam the door in my face.

I stood there for some time, wanting to cry—scream, beg—but I knew nothing would change my father’s mind once it was made up.

I didn’t sleep that night.

When my father finally left for work, I pulled myself into the kitchen, ignoring the throbbing in my head and back. Picking up the phone I surveyed the set of three numbers Ignis had provided me with.

After an embarrassing amount of deliberation, I finally punched a sequence of digits into the key pad and waited, my stomach in knots. Gladio picked up on the third ring.

“You’re lucky I’m up this early, who’s this?” he barked, making me regret my decision to call him.

“Um, it’s Prompto,” I said timidly.

“Oh, shit, Prompto, sorry, what’s up?” the older boy questioned.

“I…I need your help.” Saying it out loud made the knots in my gut tighten.

Even though I had gone over all the options in my head a million times, knowing I needed them to help me was a devastating blow to what little of my ego I had left.

“What’s going on?”

He agreed so easily that, against my better judgement, I told him everything, including the plan I had come up with during my sleepless night. He listened without speaking, soaking up every word.

“Hang on. I’m on my way,” Gladio promised once I finished. I listened to the static several seconds after he hung up, knowing that if this didn’t work, my life would be over for real this time.

All I could do was wait—and pray to the Six that another one of my crazy plans would go off without a hitch.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 12 Songs:  
> “Not Over You” by Alex Goot


	13. The Truth is in the Paper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto goes searching for evidence against his father and discovers more than he bargained for

I almost called Gladio back and told him not to come. It was quite possible that in my distress I had been hasty in my choice to try and discover if my father was guilty of treason or not. I found myself going back and forth across the living room as I waited, my movements matching those of my indecisive mind.

What was I doing?  

If my father was indeed a traitor, there was no way I would be spared, regardless of what Ignis or anyone else said.

Yet, hearing my father say we were leaving Insomnia frightened me more than the knowledge that he might go to prison if I found something that could be used against him. The walls were closing in, and like a rat trapped in a maze, there was only one way out.

The hours passed by and day turned into night. I started to worry that something had happened to Gladio, but was too much of a coward to call him again. Maybe he had decided it was a bad idea to help me. Honestly, I wouldn’t blame him if he did.

It was dinnertime when the phone in the kitchen rang. I jumped out of my chair where I was halfheartedly studying, not expecting anyone to call. 

When I picked up the receiver it was Gladio.

“You have to open the elevator. We can’t access it from the ground floor.”

_We?_

“O-okay,” I answered. Gladio hung up before I could ask for any more details—like how he had managed to get into the front door of my father’s research facility in the first place, or why it had taken him so long to get to the compound.

Hurrying over to the elevator, I pressed the up button, only to find the doors were locked. My father must have changed their security clearance after our fight last night.

Remembering that Mrs. Leonhart had brought my briefcase back from school, I ran to my room to pull it out of my closet, reaching into the front pocket for the keycard I hoped was still inside.

To my relief, it was. With the piece of plastic in hand, I returned to the elevator and held the card against the scanner, holding my breath. After a brief moment, the panel beeped and flashed green, the doors sliding open to allow me access. Heartbeat thumping in my ears, I stepped in and pressed the number ‘one’ for the lobby.

When the doors opened again, I stood to one side so I wouldn’t be easily visible to onlookers. Peering around the metal wall, I scanned the room for anyone I recognized. Seeing no one, I allowed the doors to close, wondering if I should wait or return to the basement.

Before I knew what was happening, a hand slipped around from behind me, covering my mouth to muffle my alarmed shout.

“Shh—it’s just me,” Prince Noctis whispered in my ear, lips barely brushing the nape of my neck.

When he pulled his hand away and pressed the button for the lower level, I pressed my body to the back of the elevator for support, allowing my racing heart to slow.

I hadn’t expected him to come and was angry at myself for being happy to see him. To make matters worse, I was almost sure that I was blushing. We rode down in silence, the doors opening before he spoke, saying:

“Gladio and Ignis made a distraction so I could get in. Warping past the guards and cameras was a piece of cake. Now, explain your plan to me.”

There were so many things I wanted to say.

I was ashamed to accept his help. He had risked his safety for me, then gotten expelled. I knew that had been his original goal, but the plan was to keep his reputation in tact—and I had failed.

I was angry that he hadn’t told me the truth from the start, but knew that I never would have agreed to help him if he had. I was just as big of a hypocrite for using him to try and win against my father. 

Then there was the fact that we had shared a kiss. A kiss that he didn’t remember, but I saw every night in my dreams—an action that had plagued me for weeks now.

I hated him for making me love him, because I knew that there was no way in Eos that he would ever come to care for me like I did for him. He was a prince, meant to ascend to the throne with a beautiful queen by his side—not a Niflheim nobody.

Most of all, I grieved, for a friendship that I had, but knew could never be restored.

Now, the only way to make it up to him, was to give him what his father wanted—evidence of Verstael Besithia’s treachery.

“Hello? Eos to Prompto?” Prince Noctis waved his hand in front of my face and I blinked several times in quick succession.

“Sorry—for everything,” I muttered lamely.

“We don’t have time for a pity party. Tell me how we’re going to find this evidence,” the prince pressed.

_Right, stick to the plan._

“My father has several labs in the building, but the highest clearance level is on the top floor. I think he might be the only person with access to it, which is probably where he keeps anything he wouldn’t want someone to be find. We can use the keycard to get in there, take pictures of whatever we need, and then get out.”

I knew it was terribly simple, and doubt reflected on Noctis’s face.

“What if your father is there right now? Won’t we get caught?” he asked, eyebrow raised.

“Well, since it’s you, I guess you’ll be able to keep out of sight with your warping ability. If anything comes up, I can distract him. He’s already mad at me as it is,” I explained. I decided not to mention that my father was attempting to leave the next day. We would cross that bridge when we got to it.

“All right, let’s do it,” Noctis said with resolve.

I followed him back into the elevator, using the keycard to take us up to the top floor. We hid on the left and right of the doors to see if we heard anything before stepping out into the empty hallway.

Having never been in this particular part of the building, I had no idea where to start looking. The lights were dimmed, and there were doors in every direction, each numbered with a clipboard hanging beneath them. Noctis stepped over to examine one of the clipboards, and I did the same, scanning the document with interest as he read the first line of what looked to be a typed report.

“‘Test Subject 02455, The Deathless Project: Failure of magitek core due to overpowering daemonification.’ There’s a bunch of dates with entries here. Looks like some sort of research log,” Noctis mused as he took out his phone to snap a quick picture.

“There’s tons of doors. It would take forever to go through each report,” I pointed out, panic setting in as I started to realize I had massively underestimated the scope of our undertaking.

“Don’t worry, let’s keep looking. We might find something that stands out,” Noctis replied, moving onward. I followed in his footsteps as we made several lefts and rights, each hallway looking the same as the previous—doors with numbers and clipboards, the scenery never changing with the exception of the security cameras we came across. Noctis would warp to them, severing their cords with a pocket knife to ensure we remained undetected before signaling it was safe to proceed.

I was getting close to giving up when we stumbled upon exactly what Noctis had said we would—something that stood out. At the end of a narrow hall was a single door with no handle. It looked like it had been made of a thicker metal material than the others and had no number or research log attached to it. Set to one side was a scanner for a keycard.

“That has to be it,” Noctis said quietly, speaking my own thoughts aloud. We both headed towards it, and when I pressed my father’s card to the scanner, several mechanisms clicked. The jam popped open, and Noctis and I shared a look.

After taking a deep breath, I pushed hard against the door. Not only was it thick, it was heavy. Noctis had to help me get it all the way open. Once we did, we found ourselves in a large room that had monitors wrapped all the way around its walls, along with a large desk and cabinets in one corner and a table with countless documents spread across it in another.

“Let’s split up. If you find something, let me know,” Noctis suggested. Agreeing that the task was too big for one person to handle, I made my way to the desk while Noctis headed for the opposite corner. I began rifling through everything I could, flipping through the pages of notebooks, unsure exactly what I was looking for.

“Hey, I think I found something!” the prince exclaimed from where he was sitting. He had a stack of papers in his lap and was furiously snapping photos.

“This is all my father’s magitek research, but I can’t make any sense of it,” I said as I walked over to him, reading the document he had in his hand by peeking over his shoulder.

“Adagium?” I wondered quizzically, voicing the strange word that was printed in bold letters across the top of the page.

“Yeah, I’m not exactly sure what it is, but there’s talk of some sort of super weapon and testing it out on Lucis. Look, here—”

Noctis grabbed my wrist, pulling me so that my finger rested on a paragraph on the second page of the dossier. I read it, but wasn’t sure I processed the words. I was too focused on Noctis’s hand resting on top of mine.

The prince flipped through, taking pictures of every page before setting the document back where he found it.

“What about you?” he asked hopefully.

Shaking my head, I opened my mouth to speak, only to stop when I heard the mechanisms of the door unlocking. Acting quickly, we both looked around for some place to hide.

There was an unassuming door towards the back corner of the room, and without saying a word, we both bolted for it. Reaching for its handle, I was dismayed to find it locked.

Without even thinking, I pressed my right hand to rest against the lock pad as I tried desperately to pull the keycard out of my pants. I wasn’t sure how it happened, but the screen briefly flashed green and the door we were leaning against flung open, dumping us into the dark. Noctis closed it behind us just as whoever we had heard entered the room.

I don’t think either of us breathed for a solid minute.

Shoulder to shoulder, we had knelt and backed against the closest wall, listening for any sign that the stranger might be headed our way. On occasion, we heard the creaking of a chair or the rustling of clothes.

I knew it had to be my father, which meant we were doomed.

“What are we going to do?” I whispered to Noctis, getting as close to him as I dared to avoid raising my voice.

“I’ll see if Ignis or Gladio can cause a distraction. In the meantime, we have to move away from this door,” he murmured. Flipping his phone open, he used the flashlight to look around.

Wherever we were stretched far in one direction, farther than I thought the building could possibly encompass. Had we somehow gone up a floor? In the dark it was difficult to make out, but there looked to be hundreds of identical tubes lined in a row—and it seemed like there was something inside them.

“What do you think those are?” Noctis gulped. If he was nervous then we both were screwed. I subconsciously wiped my sweaty palms on my pants.

“I…don’t know,” I admitted. Part of me didn’t want to know either, but my feet suddenly began moving of their own accord, curiosity getting the best of me.

Prince Noctis’s flashlight shone before us, lighting the way as we approached a nearby tube to investigate. When the beam finally rested on what it contained, it was as if my heart stopped beating.

Floating in the liquid inside the glass was a human body.

A human body—with my face.

I was too surprised to scream, but I did manage to back away as fast as my feet could carry me—bowling into Noctis and causing him to drop his phone in the process, plunging us back into darkness.

The abrupt clatter had the effect of a bomb going off. Both of us froze, unwilling to make any extra noise and fearing the worst.

The worst came to fruition when the lights suddenly turned on, blinding both of us with their brightness. It became painfully clear that every tube within eyesight contained a dormant copy of me. Neither Noctis nor I had time to discuss the implications of the bizarre discovery though because the door we had come through was opening.

Fearfully, I turned to face my father.

Noctis was nowhere to be found. 

“Ah, Prompto. I was afraid it would come to this,” he spoke in a tone I had heard a million times before. It was the same tone he had used when belittling my passions, dripping with condescension.

He proceeded to walk towards me, but I found that I couldn’t move.

“I had hoped to tell you when you were a bit older, but once I discovered my keycard was missing, I knew it would only be a matter of time before you got bold enough to begin exploring. You see, you were my most precious experiment. The first successful clone of myself that paved the way for the birth of hundreds of magitek soldiers. The Empire will regret crossing me when the King of Lucis invests in my research.” He spoke as if I were a child and he was explaining how the sun moved across the sky—what he said was merely factual information to him, not the life-shattering revelation that brought me to my knees. 

This couldn’t be real, but the proof was right in front of my eyes. Hundreds of clones that looked like me, a younger version of the vile man I called ‘father.’

He meant to…what, then? Sell them to King Regis? As weapons? An army of clones to fight a war against the Niflheim Empire? He really was insane.

If he meant to help Noctis’s father though, who had he spoken on the phone with when he mentioned infiltrating Insomnia?

It dawned on me then. When Headmaster Izunia had come to visit me in the infirmary, he had mentioned committing treason against the crown in his list of accusations against me—which meant he had to be the one funding my father’s research, but why would Headmaster Izunia want to take over Insomnia? Did my father hope to align himself with the Caelums and double cross him?

Thinking about my father’s motives made my head hurt.

“Why…why send me to the academy? What do you want from me?” On the verge of tears, I nearly choked on the question.

“Someone will have to continue my research in the event something happens to me. Raising one of my clones to do just that was the obvious choice. Come now, Prompto, don’t look so dejected. Now that you know the truth you can begin embracing your destiny and put aside all of this nonsense,” my father coaxed, drawing close enough to place his hand on my head. I wanted to pull away, but my body and mind felt as if they were disconnected from each other.  

 _Nonsense?_  I wondered. I assumed he meant my interests at the academy, like photography and music. It made sense now why he pushed me so hard to drop those pursuits. He wanted me to assist him in—whatever _this_ was.

“What about Headmaster Izunia? Won’t he be angry that you’re betraying him?” I thought aloud.

My father laughed. “What makes you think I’m betraying him? He’s been an instrumental part of my work all along. It’s because of him that Prince Noctis even began attending the academy. You see, Headmaster Izunia was partly responsible for the events in Tenebrae that brought the Fleuret children to Lucis. We have known each other since before you and I became refugees. Do not worry, my child, everything is under control,” he assured me. It occurred to me that he probably had no idea that the real reason Prince Noctis had been sent to the academy was because the king suspected my father of something sinister.

 _Responsible for the ‘events’ in Tenebrae?_ I racked my brain to remember that particular World History lesson. I knew that Tenebrae had been invaded by the Empire, and using magitek technology, the small kingdom had been mostly destroyed. Both Prince Ravus and Princess Lunafreya had become prisoners of Niflheim before King Regis had invited them to Insomnia to attend the academy. The current marriage proposal between Prince Noctis and Lady Lunafreya was rumored to be a way to avoid more bloodshed, as the Empire currently had its sights set on Lucis.

Did that mean these magitek soldiers could prevent the Niflheim Empire from overtaking Noctis’s homeland, eliminating the need to wed Lady Lunafreya? My mind reeled from the possibilities.

I wasn’t sure what else I would have learned if my father had been given the opportunity to continue, but at that moment the lights cut out, ensuring I would never know.

“Prompto!”

I heard Prince Noctis’s voice calling to me from the exit, the only light coming from the room behind him.

My legs reacted immediately, and I sprinted towards his voice, hearing the quickening steps of my father in pursuit over my shoulder. I skidded through the doorway, grabbing Noctis by the arm as he shut the door in my dad’s face. Not wasting another second, we ran hand-in-hand as fast as we could out of the lab and into the maze-like hallways, searching frantically for the path back to the elevator.

Before we could find it, a siren began to blare, red lights flashing overhead, a sign that my father had activated the security system.

“Bless the Six!” Noctis yelled when we caught sight of the elevator. His rejoicing was immediately stifled by the fact that the keycard I held no longer appeared to work. Neither one of us had any idea what to do.

With sirens still ringing in my ears, I stared down at my hand that was intertwined with the prince’s. That’s when I saw it—my barcode tattoo.

With a sinking suspicion in my chest, I shook his hand free and held my wrist against the pad. Ringing out a chime, the elevators opened, allowing us access, but refused to budge when we pressed the button for the ground floor.

Through the pulses of red, I saw my father turning the corner to head straight for us.

“What now?” I yelped frantically.

“This way!” Noctis shouted, yanking me into the elevator with him.

I couldn’t make sense of how I ended up bursting through the metal box’s overhead panel. Noctis and I rolled across the roof of the elevator, the ceiling above indicating we were at the top of the shaft with nowhere to run.

“You’re going to have to trust me,” Noctis stated before pulling me upright. The prince of Lucis started to tug me towards the edge where I could only see darkness below, the elevator shaft dimly illuminated by emergency lights.

“Oh gods—” I started to say, but never finished my sentence.

We were flying—

No, this was _definitely_ controlled falling.

I think I might have screamed, but the sound was drowned out by the ringing alarms. Noctis had his arms wrapped tightly around me, blue light enveloping us as we flashed through space and into the lobby of my father’s research facility, the elevator doors pried open when they should have been closed.

After tumbling head over heels several times, the both of us came to a stop on the tile floor, dizzy and disoriented.

Prince Noctis had his arms back around me before I could make heads of tails and was dragging me into a vertical position.

I saw out of my periphery that our sudden arrival had alerted a troop of security guards who were now turning to apprehend us.

“Noct! Prompto!” A familiar voice boomed. I could see Gladio standing in front of the glass double doors that led outside, appearing from wherever he had been hiding. We ran towards him, my breath whistling in and out of my mouth with every forceful inhalation.

We had maybe covered ten yards when I saw a sea of blue lights behind Gladio speeding towards the building. Stopping abruptly to avoid what I saw coming, Noctis tripped into me, and both of us went down as the glass windows in front of us shattered, spraying the entryway with the sharp debris. Through the dust and smoke we sat up, coughing violently.

“Gla—Gladio!” Noctis sputtered.

“Here!” he groaned above the noise, causing Noctis to relax somewhat.

When I glanced up, my eyes met the end of a gun barrel. Noctis grew very still at the sound of guns cocking around us, raising his hands in the air in surrender.

“Don’t move!” my father’s security guards shouted. Behind us, shadows appeared to warp strangely.

The security sirens stopped then, accenting the words that cut through the weighted silence. “ _Drop—your—_ _weapons_.”

We didn’t need to turn our heads to see Cor Leonis stepping through a curtain of smoke, katana drawn. Without hesitation, every single guard dropped what they held in their hands, lending clout to the “Immortal’s” reputation.

“Noctis, Gladio—come with me,” Cor ordered as a rush of Kingsglaive, the king’s personal guard, entered the research facility and moved past us stealthily. They must have been the dark shadows I had seen in the background of the chaos.  

As Noctis got up slowly, he turned to me, offering his hand. I paused before taking it, rising to my feet.

“If you’re taking us, Prompto is coming too,” the prince proclaimed boldly. Cor Leonis frowned, but merely shrugged.

“Follow me,” he said stoically. With the legendary warrior leading the way, the three of us filed outside to the driveway of the compound where a slew of cars were waiting. Together we piled into the back of a vehicle, Cor taking the wheel. As he put it into drive, I noticed that Ignis was sitting in the front passenger seat.

Glancing out the window, I watched as my father’s research facility disappeared into the night, dancing lights affixed to the Kingsglaive’s uniforms occasionally darting in and out of view from where they now surrounded the building.

Something told me that it would be a long time before I ever saw my father again.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 13 Songs:  
> “The Last of the Real Ones” by Fall Out Boy  
> “Make Me Like You” by Tore Bojsten  
> “Claustrophobia” by 3OH!3


	14. Home Is Where the Heart Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto struggles to find his place outside of his father's research facility

By the time we arrived at the Citadel we had received news that there had been an explosion at my father’s research facility shortly after we left. Countless people were trapped inside, and there were no signs of Verstael Besithia. The news was plastered on every screen we passed as we entered the heart of Insomnian government—my childhood home going up in flames.

The image should have evoked some type of emotion—sadness for what I had lost, anger for what I had learned—but inside I was empty. Or more accurately, numb.

Numb to the idea that everything that had just happened wasn’t a nightmare that I would eventually wake up from.

Numb to the discovery that I was nothing more than a copy of the man who was busy creating a magitek army with my face to unleash unparalleled destruction on the world.

The moment we entered the palace we were surrounded by Kingsglaive members and ushered to a higher floor where we were placed in a chamber to wait. I wasn’t sure what we were waiting for, but I wasn’t about to ask.

I’d never seen such grave expressions on Ignis and Gladio’s faces. Whatever had come to pass had to be worse than even they had imagined, and working for Noctis, I was sure they tried to predict every possible outcome.

I caught Prince Noctis looking at me while we were waiting, but I couldn’t bring myself to hold eye contact. When His Majesty King Regis finally arrived, I kept my head lowered, even as we all rose to our feet.

“Cor, status report,” the king commanded.

“Verstael is missing sir. Prince Noctis remains unharmed, but the Kingsglaive were not so lucky. We are still working on the official number of losses now,” Cor answered. I could hear the king’s footfalls as he moved to stand before his son.

“What you did was beyond foolish, Noctis. You could have gotten every person in this room killed. What do you have to say for yourself?” King Regis murmured.

“I had to go, dad. We needed proof of what Verstael was up to, and we got it. It’s all on my phone.” Noctis took his phone out of his pocket and handed it to his father, who eyed it dubiously. I lifted my head long enough to catch sight of the deep crack that spanned from the middle of the screen to the outer edges from where he had dropped it. It quickly became clear that the display wouldn’t turn on, much to the prince’s chagrin.  

“I swear to you, it’s on there,” Noctis insisted when his father looked to him disapprovingly.

“And how do you explain _him_?” King Regis went on, waving in my direction.

 _Me. He means me_ , I realized, sick to my stomach. Would the king throw me in prison? It was within his right. Could they torture me for information?

I would tell them anything they wanted to know.

“Prompto was in danger. When his dad found out what we were up to, Verstael tried to keep us from escaping. I couldn’t just leave him behind,” Noctis said matter-of-factly. King Regis sighed heavily and didn’t speak for a long time. Everyone in the room held their breaths, waiting for His Majesty’s verdict.

“Cor, deliver Gladio and Ignis to Clarus and ensure they remain here tonight where it is safe. I would also like you to watch over Mr. Argentum until we decide what will be done with him. Noctis—a word.” Reluctantly, Noctis followed after his father as he swept out of the door, leaving the rest of us with Mr. Leonis and the guards who had escorted us.

“Gladio, I trust you and Ignis will go nowhere except to your father’s quarters,” Mr. Leonis stated with authority. The two older boys inclined their heads submissively, both casting worried glances in my direction before departing.

Now alone with the famous warrior, I started to fidget, hands clasping in front of me awkwardly.

“Come on, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping,” Mr. Leonis said at last.

I hurried to keep up with him, his long strides equaling two of mine. He showed me to a separate floor that reminded me of the inside of a hotel, then to a small empty room with a bed, nightstand, and private bathroom. There was a television mounted on the wall across from the bed, and a modest dresser, which I wouldn’t need. After showing me in the door, Mr. Leonis leaned against the wall, watching me for a few seconds before speaking.

“Try to get some rest. We will know more details in the morning. Don’t try to go anywhere for now, it’s safest in the Citadel.”

I could read between the lines. I was sure he was implying that my room would be watched, and it would be stupid of me to try and leave, but even if I did, where was there for me to go?

Part of me was relieved that Prince Noctis’s phone was broken. If King Regis saw the pictures he had taken, he would have immediately locked me up and thrown away the key. At least for now I might have a chance of escaping.

When Cor left, I immediately stripped down to my boxers and crawled into bed. Even though the room was slim on amenities, the mattress was the softest I had ever slept on. My body sank into the memory foam as I pulled the covers up to my chin, staring up at the ceiling.

Every fiber of my being was exhausted, but every time I closed my eyes, I saw the face of the test tube clone Noctis and I had discovered.

I wondered if he had a name, too. Or maybe it was just a number. Had my father experimented on him? The sudden thought sent a shiver down my spine.

What would happen to me if Verstael couldn’t be found?

My plan to stay in Insomnia had quite literally blown up in my face. I would have to rely on the king’s mercy if I hoped to lead any sort of normal life, but what would that even look like? Noctis would never look at me the same way again, so what did it matter?

With the heaviness of the future weighing on me, I ended up crying myself to sleep several hours after I had laid down.

I woke to a knocking, and was barely opening my eyes when Mr. Leonis let himself in. “Good morning,” he greeted. That’s when I noticed he was carrying a tray in his hands.

Groggily, I sat up as he placed it in front of me, seeing that it contained a plate of food, a glass of water, and a cup of coffee. The steam from the mug swirled up onto my face, caressing it gently.  

“Do you even drink coffee? I’m not sure what high schoolers do nowadays,” he commented apologetically. The smell of bacon and eggs hit my nose and made my mouth water.

Had I really not eaten in over a day? My nerves had been shot since Gladio’s initial phone call, keeping me from being hungry throughout the day and during my time with Noctis, but now my appetite was back in full force. Tentatively, I started to eat, mumbling a ‘thank you’ between swallows.

Mr. Leonis sat in a chair in the corner and waited. I tried sipping the coffee, but must have made a face, because he laughed. The last time I had drank any was when I had been hungover at Gladio’s apartment, but I found it too bitter to drink now. Pushing it aside, I finished the meal as my guest leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs.

“Your father’s building is completely destroyed. We couldn’t salvage anything from the rubble.” Although his words were gentle, they struck fear into my heart. He didn’t know that the proof they so desperately sought was right in front of him. “Worse still, Verstael cannot be located. Do you know anywhere he might have gone?”

I spread my hands in front of me helplessly. “No. I’m sorry—I’d tell you if I knew, I swear it.” I glared down at the now empty plate, trying to keep tears from surfacing.

“His Majesty has placed you into my care for the unforeseeable future. We will make the academy aware of the change in guardianship when I take you to school tomorrow,” he said while getting out of his chair.

“School?” I asked blankly.

“Your suspension is up, correct? Ignis and Gladio said the three of you have class in the morning,” the man explained.

I burst into tears, and Mr. Leonis stepped towards me in alarm.

“Hey kid, is everything all right?” he questioned, obviously distressed.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine—thank you. Thank you so much,” I gulped, rubbing at my eyes. I was so relieved to hear that I would be going back to the academy instead of being tossed in jail that I hadn’t been able to keep my emotions contained any longer. Mr. Leonis sat back down, but eyed me like a bomb that might explode at any moment.  

“All right, well, there’s a set of clothes for you in the bathroom. After you’ve gotten ready there’s a few errands we need to run. It’s Prompto, right?” I gave the slightest of nods. “Prompto, I have to be honest with you, it’s dangerous for you right now. There is speculation that your father was involved in a conspiracy with Niflheim and the media has already labeled him as a traitor on the news. Don’t go anywhere without me unless I give you permission. Understood?” My next nod was firmer in an attempt to convince him that I wouldn’t argue, even though I truly didn’t understand. If they weren’t able to find any evidence against my father, how could they already be calling him a traitor?

I mulled it over while I showered, but still couldn’t come up with any answers. Then again, my father had managed to keep my origins a secret from me for my entire life so who knew what else he had been hiding?

I slipped into the clothes Mr. Leonis had provided for me. They were a little loose, but comfortable. The dark t-shirt had a skull print on the sleeves, making me wonder if he had borrowed them from Prince Noctis.

“Ready to go?” he asked once I emerged. He knew I had nothing better to do except follow orders, but I was used to that.  

For the remainder of the day I followed Cor Leonis like a lost puppy around the city of Insomnia. He graciously took me shopping for things I might need now that all of my belongings had been buried beneath the charred ash heap that was my father’s research building. Mr. Leonis only needed to flash a ring bearing the king’s crest for shopkeepers to bend over backwards for him, and we never had to pay wherever we went.

It was after I had gotten several new pairs of clothes, school supplies, and toiletry items that we stopped for lunch in a café. The restaurant sat directly across from where my father had taken me dinner several weeks ago when Prince Noctis became my roommate. I found myself staring out the window at it, wishing I could go back to the time when my father was merely an overbearing parent, and not a mad scientist who had cloned me from his DNA. 

“Is there anything else you might need? Don’t be afraid to tell me. His Majesty insisted that we spare no expense,” the Immortal explained as he brought a cup of coffee to his lips.

Why would King Regis spend anything on me? Did he feel bad because my house had been destroyed? He wouldn’t be so kind when he found out what I was.

I suddenly remembered my guitar and all the books that had been in my room and felt a pang of regret, but there was no way I could ask to buy a guitar with King Regis’s money.

“No, this is more than enough, really. I’m honestly not even sure why His Majesty is being so kind,” I ventured to say. Mr. Leonis didn’t respond at first as our food had arrived. We both thanked the server and started eating before he managed to reply.

“I’m not sure what Noctis might have told you, but King Regis isn’t heartless.”

No, I knew that the king was kind. The prince was lucky to have a father who cared about him. Jealousy made me sour and I found I was no longer hungry, but I wasn’t willing to waste the food Mr. Leonis had graciously paid for so I swallowed my pride and ate everything in front of me.

It was mid-afternoon before we returned to the Citadel. My new guardian left me to put our purchases away, promising he would return in the evening with dinner. Being alone again caused dark thoughts to surface, so I turned the TV on for background noise. The news channel was the first thing that popped up, and I quickly changed it when I heard my father’s name come out of the mouths of one of the broadcasters.

I didn’t want to know what was being said about him. It was easier to live in ignorance.

With nothing to occupy myself after I had put away my new things, I crawled into bed intent on taking a nap to make up for my poor night’s sleep. I was just starting to drift off when a voice I recognized call to me through the door.

“Prompto? It’s Gladio and I—may we come in?”

After debating whether to pretend to be asleep or not, I decided to get up and open the door. The three of us all came to sit on the small bed, Ignis and Gladio side-by-side while I propped myself up against the wall, hugging a pillow to my chest.

“How are you?” Ignis inquired carefully.

I wasn’t sure how to answer.

_Oh, you know, just found out I’m literally a one-in-a-million clone of my traitor father, who may or may not be dead—oh yeah, and my house burned down. Doing great, how about you?_

“I’m fine.”

Gladio shook his head in irritation.

“You’re obviously not fine,” the older boy said accusingly. I pressed my pace to the pillow, refusing to cry in front of them. Ignis placed his hand on Gladio’s shoulder as if to silence him.

Where was Noctis in all of this? Did he not want to see me now that he knew I was merely meant to be one of my father’s puppets?

My entire life was a lie. Why did Noctis save me? Now, more than ever, I wished that I was dead.

“Prompto, I know this is a difficult time for you, but we are here to help,” Ignis promised. I looked to him then, his expression one of genuine concern. Part of me despised him for looking at me like that. Who was he to pity me? He could never understand what I was going through.

“King Regis got what he wanted. You don’t need to pretend to care.”

“Listen here, you idiot—” Gladio lurched forward, grabbing me by my shirt and shaking me. I didn’t bother fighting him. “You think we were in it this entire time just to go along with the king’s plans? Those photos Noctis was trying to get off his phone? They can’t retrieve them. So, guess what? Your dad is free as a bird, and you’re here, with everyone trying to help you. The least you can do is show some gratitude!” 

Gratitude? I wanted to laugh. Instead, I told them the truth.

“Didn’t Noctis tell you? I’m not even a real person. Those magitek troopers? They’re all clones of my father—and I’m one of them.” I held up my right wrist to display my tattoo, the barcode that stamped me as one of his test subjects.

Admitting it out loud lent the situation a painful clarity. Gladio immediately loosened his hold, shocked. Even Ignis looked surprised. I went on, relishing their horror.

“King Regis doesn’t need to waste his time helping me. None of you do. I’m all the proof he needs. My father wanted King Regis to invest in his research and use his super soldiers to get back at the Empire, but that won’t happen now.”

I remembered in the midst of my explanation that Headmaster Izunia was also involved, causing me to stop short. Was it possible that he was still at the academy? Had Prince Noctis already told the king? I wasn’t entirely sure what he had and hadn’t heard my father say while in his lab.

“We would never use you as evidence,” Ignis murmured. “Your secret is safe with us,” he promised.

“Why?” I demanded incredulously, not buying it.

“Because you’re our _fucking_ friend!” Gladio yelled, anger rolling off of him in waves.

I slowly looked between the two boys, Ignis inclining his head in reserved confirmation. I wanted so badly to accept what they were offering me, but I knew better by now. Things would only end poorly, and I didn’t want to hurt anymore.

“…I think it’d be better if you guys left me alone.”

Gladio threw up his hands and was opening his mouth to yell at me again when Ignis nudged him lightly.

“Gladio, let’s go.” I couldn’t bring myself to look at them.

“Tch. Fine, have it your way,” Gladio grumbled, muttering to himself as he and Ignis moved off the bed.

It was getting old—crying anytime I was alone, but there was nothing to be done. If Mr. Leonis returned to bring me dinner, I never heard him. I slept straight through to the morning, dreading the knowledge that I would be returning to the academy. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 14 Songs:  
> “Don’t Give Up on Me” by Andy Grammar  
> “God Help The Outcasts” by Frank Rendo


	15. A Monster's Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto's return to the academy isn't met with a warm welcome

When Mr. Leonis drove me to the academy for class, it didn’t register that the mob of cameras and reporters lining the school steps were there for me. They approached our car as he parked and turned to me, holding out a cell phone.

“This is for you. My number is under the contacts. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything. There will be Kingsglaive members on the premises for your protection.”

 _My protection?_  

Blinded by camera flashes, I didn’t have much time to consider his words.

“C’mon, stay close to me and keep your head down,” Cor instructed before opening his door. He came around to my side as I got out, shielding me from onlookers as they pressed in around us. Although he never unsheathed his weapon, he rested one hand on the scabbard of the sword he always carried, eyeing the journalists menacingly. Afraid of getting caught in the throng, I grabbed hold of his jacket and followed him into the crowd.

“Mr. Argentum, is it true that your father was plotting against King Regis?”

“Mr. Argentum, can you please comment on your relationship with Prince Noctis? Is it true he was with you when your father’s facility went up in flames?”

“Mr. Argentum—

“Mr. Argentum, just one question—

“Mr. Argentum!”

I was mercilessly interrogated from all sides, but all I could do was keep my eyes squarely focused in the middle of my guardian’s back. When we finally made it through the front doors, two members of the Kingsglaive moved to block them, preventing the media from following us inside.

Shaken, I trailed behind Mr. Leonis as he led me to the front office. Ms. Lulu lifted her head when we walked in, eyeing us slyly.

“I would like to speak with Headmaster Izunia,” he proclaimed.

“Well, that’s too bad. He’s taken a leave of absence. I can take a message if you would like,” she replied frankly.

So, he had disappeared too—how convenient. A bad feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.

“No matter, I just need to update Prompto Argentum’s file. I’ll be his guardian going forward,” the man stated, his face daring her to say otherwise. Ms. Lulu scanned me in a calculating manner, then shrugged.

“Very well.” I listened absently as Ms. Lulu peppered Mr. Leonis with questions in order to update my address and emergency contact numbers. When they had finished, Cor the Immortal turned his attention to me.

“I have a few things I need to attend to, but I’ll check in later. Will you be all right?”

I clung tightly to my briefcase, trying not to betray the anxiety I felt.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” I assured him, hoping that my performance was convincing. He studied me a bit longer before nodding and taking his leave. Conversely, Ms. Lulu ignored me completely, focused on whatever was on the screen in front of her.

The first bell rang as I left the office and hurried to my first period. Students didn’t bother to mask their blatant stares as I passed through the hallway, and when I entered the classroom, all conversation stopped. I clung to the smile Miss G gave me as I took my seat.

 _You can do this. Ignore them_ , I tried to tell myself.

When Miss G turned to write something on the white board, I felt something hard hit the back of my head. When I turned, everyone’s heads were down, hands busy furiously writing. I picked up the pencil someone has thrown before pulling out one of the notebooks I had picked up over the weekend.

Later in the lecture, another object pelted me, this time a crumpled piece of paper. Without turning around, I painstakingly unfolded it, staring down at the single word written in bold letters.

TRAITOR

Fingers trembling, I tucked the paper away as the bell rang. I waited for everyone else to leave before gathering my things, Miss G approaching my desk as I did so.

“Prompto, I’m so glad you’re back with us. In light of the circumstances, I’m going to petition the administration to excuse your assignments for the duration of your absence. Just study hard to pass your final exams,” she said before placing a new packet of notes in my hand. I shoved it into my bag without looking at it and said nothing, hurrying out of the room.

On my way to Mrs. Leonhart’s room, I caught sight of the last person I wanted to see—Ravus Nox Fleuret. I stopped in my tracks and turned around, more concerned with not being seen than going to class, but it was too late.

One of his lackeys yelled out: “Hey, Argentum!”

Panic seizing me, I hurried down the hallway, slipping into a bathroom.

“Hey, wait up, we just want to talk,” the other one quipped, grabbing me before I could disappear into a stall.

Ravus stood back as the two boys held me against the wall, arms crossed nonchalantly as I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the worst.

“You have a lot of nerve coming back here,” the prince exclaimed with a chuckle. “Do you need me to refresh your memory?”

“No,” I said shortly. “I didn’t forget.”

“Then stay out of my way,” he hissed, his breath brushing my cheek as he leaned in closer.

I could feel my heartbeat pulsing in my neck long after they left, but even after squatting under a hand drier for several minutes, my hair remained damp from where Ravus’s lackeys had forced my head into the toilet. Thankfully, they didn’t leave any bruises this time.

I was late to second period, Mrs. Leonhart wasn’t there to witness it. Unfortunately, Yuna was.

I was certain she had been waiting for me with how she bolted out of her chair as soon as I walked in. She ran to wrap her arms around me, but I didn’t return the embrace. When she pulled away, her mismatched eyes searched my face, sorrow emanating from them.

“Prompto, I’m so sorry. I heard about your father.”

I knew she was trying to help—that she wanted to be my friend, but I couldn’t take it anymore.

“I…I’m sorry, Yuna, I don’t like you—like that. Can we just…”

What, be friends? It sounded so cliché in my mind that I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

“Don’t worry about that,” she pleaded, shaking her head fervently. “I realized some time ago that you wouldn’t return me feelings,” Yuna said, much to my relief. 

“Tidus is obsessed with you, you know,” I went on. “He always has been.” She smiled then, taking my hand in hers.

“I know. I’m still mad at him for helping Ravus, though,” she admitted quietly. We stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes before she tugged me back to her cubicle. “Could we just practice instead? We don’t need to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

I told myself that I would allow myself this one simple pleasure. We lost ourselves in the music like we had the last time we were together, proving that all my practicing wasn’t for naught. When the first bell rang, I found that I didn’t want to leave. The two of us shared a glance and I knew she felt the same way.

Abruptly, the girl held out her hand, pinky extended. “Promise that you’ll still perform with me, no matter what happens?”

I hesitated, unsure whether I could commit to what she was asking. Her smile remained fixed to her face, reflecting her unwavering trust in me.

Regardless of everything that had come to pass, I didn’t want to let her down.

“Promise,” I reluctantly agreed, linking Yuna’s pinky in mine. We shook on it, and I stood.

“I’ll talk to you later,” she exclaimed, obviously pleased.

I left then, worried about being tardy for Tactics and Arms. I had just enough time to change into my gym clothes before the second bell, but was surprised to find our teacher absent. In all my time at the academy Sephiroth had never missed a day, but I overheard one of my classmates mentioning he was helping to fill in for Headmaster Izunia. Our substitute ended up being Mrs. Leonhart’s husband, Squall Leonhart. Since our final exams would be a sparring match where we would demonstrate the skills we had learned throughout the semester, he encouraged us to pair up and practice whatever we needed to work on.

I was debating faking sick in order to go to the infirmary when Tidus Morita walked up. “Hey, want to be partners?” he questioned hopefully. My stone-faced stare seemed to get my point across. “Please—I need to talk to you,” Tidus begged, tone dropping to avoid being overheard.

“Fine,” I retorted as we walked to one of far corners of the gym, away from the majority of the class. “What do you I want?” I demanded in frustration, grabbing one of the wooden swords we had been provided with as I went.

“I made a mistake when I agreed to help Ravus, okay? I was jealous that Yuna liked you, but it’s not an excuse for what I did,” he began, the both of us tapping our swords lightly together to signal the start of our match.

“Great, apology not accepted. Are we done?” I was past being polite and lunged at him, attempting to hit him as hard as I could. Tidus sidestepped easily, but made no move to parry.

“I want to make it up to you!” Tidus claimed, as if this would make everything right between us. I attacked again, this time focusing my energy on his sword hand. He jerked away, but not before I grazed his leg. Wincing, he circled back around, weapon held up defensively.

“I have your memory card. It has the photos Ravus took. I know it’s not much, but it could prove that he’s the one who cursed you. You could get him expelled and get revenge for Noctis.” Pausing, I lowered the practice sword in my hand, unsure of what he was getting at. He looked left and then right, making sure no one was listening. “You know, since you and him are a thing?”

I didn’t really mean to hurt him. It was just a reaction, albeit a terrible one. Hurling the wooden blade as hard as I could, it hit squarely between the boy’s eyes, knocking Tidus flat on the ground.

“—shit!” I yelped belatedly before rushing to kneel beside him. He wasn’t unconscious, but I could see a pocket of swelling already forming where the tip of the sword had split his forehead open. With a groan, he pressed one hand to where the object had landed, pulling his fingers away to find them painted red with blood.

It looked like others were beginning to take note of what had happened, and Mr. Leonhart headed in our direction, attracting the attention of the entire class. More than a few people threw dirty looks my way.

_Great, just great._

“Is everything all right?” our dark haired instructor inquired, surveying the wound with interest.

“Yeah—his hand just slipped,” Tidus explained quickly. Even though I knew better, I wasn’t about to correct him.

“All right, go on to the infirmary and get cleaned up then,” Mr. Leonhart said calmly, not sparing me a second thought. I held out my hand, pulling Tidus to his feet before watching him leave the gymnasium. Not bothering to ask for permission, I excused myself from the room, hiding in the bathroom until it was time for fourth block.

Knowing that Ravus was in my last class had me stalling. I didn’t want to face him, but I also couldn’t skip for the remainder of the semester with end of quarter finals looming. When the late bell chimed, I forced myself to leave the lavatory and walk into Mr. Valentine’s room, avoiding looking at anyone as I found my seat.

I was so worried about not talking to anyone or drawing attention to myself that I could barely focus on the in-class review. To make matters worse, all I could hear in-between Mr. Valentine’s slides were the muted laughs and whispers coming from Ravus’s side of the room.

Everyone was talking about me, I just knew it. 

When class ended, I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. It might have reflected poorly on me, but I opted to skip my private lessons and head straight back to my room, hoping I might be able to sleep off some of my unrest.

What I found waiting for me made me reconsider my decision.

The first thing I noticed was that my door handle had been broken and now hung limply from where it used to sit in its metal fixture. Pushing it open revealed a spray of red paint splattered across my walls, spelling out an assortment of slurs.

NIFF BASTARD

TRAITOR

FAGGOT

GET OUT

All the furniture had been smashed, even the bedframe, and whatever personal affects I had left behind were now missing.

Unsure what to do, I stood powerless in the doorway, surveying the carnage. That’s when I felt the phone in my pocket vibrating insistently.

I answered it, presenting calmer outwardly than I felt.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Prompto, it’s Cor. How’s it going?”

I re-read the graffiti on my walls, swallowing hard.

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Great, glad to hear it. Listen, I’m planning to pick you up when classes end Friday, but in the meantime don’t talk to anyone from the media, all right? If anyone presses you for information just call me, okay?”

“Yeah, sure,” I said blandly, intending to do anything but that.

When we hung up, I knew that I couldn’t stay in my room or I would risk being assaulted in my sleep. Unsure of where to turn and knowing there was no way I could take my complaints to the current administration, I found myself in the academy’s chapel.

The stained glass window that Ravus had broken had been boarded up, the only reminder of the beauty that had been destroyed. After some deliberation, I barred the doors by pushing two pews up against it, then settled on the floor by the altar where I once thought I would meet my end.

Noctis was no longer here to save me, but I had already resigned myself to the nightmare that had become my life.

The following week was the longest I had ever experienced. At any opportunity I found myself being bullied by the members of the academy.

Sometimes the attacks were subtle—like when I attempted to go to the cafeteria and my tray was knocked out of my hands on the way to my booth. The first time, I shook it off, getting back in line without a word. The second time, I left the dining hall frustrated, but determined to come back when not as many people were around. By the third occurrence, I gave up eating altogether, instead paying for snacks from the study lounges when I could sneak away on my bathroom breaks.

Other instances were more blatant, like when Ravus or his friends found me in the hall. They were careful enough not to leave marks where anyone could see, but made it clear that I was not welcome. I knew that Ravus had to be behind the sudden shift in the student body’s treatment of me, but the media attention surrounding my father didn’t help.

Mr. Leonis called me every night before I fell asleep between the church pews, and every time I told him the same thing.

I was fine. No, no one was bothering me. Yes, I had been studying diligently.

The first weekend Mr. Leonis took me back to the Citadel, I took a long shower, then stayed in my room and slept for the entire day. Graciously, my guardian never questioned it. I knew I just needed to make it through final exams and then I would be on summer break. The distance would allow time for everything to calm down and people would gradually forget all about the scandal surrounding my father.

At least, I hoped.

It was Monday after I had finished my three hour Basics of Magic exam. I left my classroom mentally exhausted and was going over one of the more difficult questions in my head, wondering if I had given the correct answer. Turning the corner, I saw Ravus standing there, his usual lackeys on either side of him. Our eyes met and he smirked. I didn’t even bother to avoid him as he waved. Submitting to my fate, I drew closer, eyes averted downwards.

“Join us for lunch, won’t you, Argentum?” I knew it wasn’t a suggestion.

The four of us filed into the dining hall. It felt like I was about to be placed in front of a firing squad. To add insult to injury, we packed into the booth I used to claim as my own, Ravus sitting across from me as one of the other boys sat at my side, effectively trapping me at the table.

 “Strange. I distinctly remember telling you to disappear, yet, here you are,” Ravus proclaimed, eyes slanted threateningly.

I knew nothing I said would placate him, so I busied myself with some way to get out of my current situation. When I didn’t comment, he pulled a small vial from his jacket pocket and placed it in front of me. It contained a deep red liquid that look alarmingly close to blood.

“Toying with you has been fun, but I am quickly becoming bored.”

“…what is that?” I asked, unable to help myself.

“A potion of sorts,” he replied evasively, his smile wicked and cruel. “For you, it could be the answer to all of your problems. I believe its best if you take my advice. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

My whole body had been tensed for a beating. When they abruptly left me there in the booth, all of my sense on alert, I wasn’t sure how to react, so I sat there, staring down at the vial with trepidation.

It wasn’t until someone else approached that I turned quickly, covering the potion with one hand to hide it from view.

“Prompto?”

“Lady Lunafreya! You shouldn’t be…” I trailed off, not wanting to tell her about how her brother had been bullying me relentlessly.

She slid into the booth as I sat back, slipping the glass container into my pants pocket.

“I went to your room to try to find you, but you weren’t there,” she started to say, her beautiful blue eyes scanning my face.

“Oh.” She must have seen the graffiti then.

Her lengthy silence told me that she had.  

“Prompto…I know my brother is the one to blame for your suffering. He—” she struggled to find words. It was the first time I had seen her appear less than poised in the entire time I had known her. It was gratifying to know that even princesses could become flustered.

“When we were younger, he and Prince Noctis were very close. Unfortunately, my brother was in love with someone that he could never marry. Noctis knew about it and made a mistake—a terrible mistake. My parents found out about the undesirable relationship Ravus had and came down hard on him. Ravus made many sacrifices that a boy his age shouldn’t have been forced to make, but he did what was necessary to please my mother and father. …then the Empire attacked, and our parents were lost. Niflheim took over. Ravus has felt slighted ever since. He gave up everything only to have it all be taken away.”

I’d never heard Lady Lunafreya speak so much in one sitting, and certainly not to me.

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked hollowly. Ravus had been hurt so he decided to hurt those close to him? This was bullshit, and I wasn’t convinced.

I noticed that my hands were shaking.

“Ravus showed me the pictures,” the princess continued. “He told me that if I tried to spare you or Prince Noctis from his wrath that he would use them against you both, but I can’t sit idly by any longer. Not when Noctis’s happiness is at stake.”

_Noctis’s happiness?_

“Your brother wants to kill me. Nothing you can do now will stop him,” I whispered.

“Prompto, Noctis has never wanted to marry me. I’m like a sister to him,” she protested.

_Don’t. Don’t say it._

“Noctis is in love with you, Prompto.”

I knew that life wasn’t fair, but I didn’t know just how unfair it was until that point. How could a princess understand what it felt like to be less than unworthy?

Even if what she was saying was in any way true, she didn’t know what Noctis and I had uncovered in my father’s lab.

How could a prince love a monster like me?

I left her sitting there, saying nothing to anyone as I made the long walk back up to the chapel.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 15 Songs:  
> “The Kids Aren’t Alright” by Fall Out Boy  
> “Delicate” by Landon Austin  
> “Rewrite the Stars” by Zac Efron and Zendaya


	16. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto makes the most difficult decision of his life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *TRIGGER WARNING: SUICIDE*  
> National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
> 
> If you are having suicidal thoughts, please seek help. You are loved.
> 
> Click on the embedded link in the text to listen to Prompto and Yuna’s song.

I’m not sure how I made it through the rest of finals.

I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn’t eating. Part of me wondered why I even showed up when I had stopped caring about the outcome.

How I did in school no longer mattered.

When I wasn’t in class, I was horizontal on the floor of the church, staring up at one of the windows depicting the Six, questioning why I had ever been born—or maybe ‘created’ was a better word.

It was Thursday night, and all classes were finished for the week now that testing had concluded. Friday morning would mark the start of the spring show and competition, which would end Saturday evening. I remembered that Mrs. Leonhart had entered my photography into the art show, but I didn’t plan on sticking around long enough to see it.

I had placed the vial Ravus had given me on the altar where I stared at it every night until I fell asleep. Several times I held it in my hand, tilting it back and forth to watch the liquid ooze from one side of the glass to the other, but never opened it.

I must have fallen asleep, but was roused by an aggressive pounding on the church doors that caused me to jolt upright, hitting my head against one of the pews as I did so.

“Ow, ow, _ow—_

“Prompto! Open up!”

_Tidus? What does he want this time?_

At least we were even now, I mused while rubbing my throbbing skull.

“Prompto, please, Ravus is about to reveal that picture he took!”

I inhaled sharply, scrambling to my feet and running to pull the two pews aside, allowing him access. The blonde’s face was flushed and he was breathing heavily from exertion.

“The art show is about to open—

I didn’t wait for him to finish explaining. Even while trying to flee from my father in his research facility, I don’t think I had ever run as fast as I did then. When I reached the stairs, I cleared the entire landing in a single jump, nearly tripping from the force as I made contact with the ground.

My life may have been forfeit, but Prince Noctis didn’t deserve to have his reputation damaged any more than it already had. Bare feet slapping against the tile floor as I sprinted down to the first floor, I narrowly avoided running into a group of students as I barreled around a corner towards the auditorium.

To my horror I found that the doors had been recently opened and a large crowd was making their way inside, slow and bumbling like a herd of dualhorns.

_Fuck!_

“Prompto?” a voice said hopefully. When I looked to see who was addressing me, I was astonished to find Prince Noctis standing beside his father, an entourage of Kingsglaive trailing behind them. I had forgotten that the spring show and competition were open to the public.

_FUCK._

I wish I could have said something. After all, it was the first time I had been reunited with him since the prince had helped me escape my father’s lab, but there was no time.

“Sorry—!”

Whipping back to the crowd, I began pushing through lines of guests, not bothering to be gentle. Countless people protested, but I didn’t have time to explain or mutter half-hearted apologies. The only thing on my mind was finding out where Ravus had managed to display the photograph and destroying it before anyone could see it.

When I finally made it inside the auditorium though, I quickly realized that would be an impossible task, for plastered everywhere within eyesight was the image that had been burned into the back of my eyelids for weeks.

It was pasted to the walls, the backs of chairs—it was on the emergency exit signs, even the ceiling. Guests were bending down to scoop copies of the photograph off the ground, their hushed whispers growing louder all around me. One giant portrait hung over the main stage, my shame unavoidable, laid bare for everyone to see.

Heads were turning. People were pointing.

_Oh gods. Oh gods—_

“Prompto…?”

_Not him too._

I made a slow half circle, meeting Prince Noctis’s eyes as he took in the scene. He looked perplexed until it dawned on him what they were staring at.

 _Us_. They were looking at us.

_I have to get out of here._

“What’s all the commotion?” I heard King Regis ask. Maybe it was cowardly to leave Noctis to face his father alone, but he was the crown prince. He would be forgiven.

I knew better than to expect the same.

My feet carried me of their own accord, but I knew I couldn’t go back to the chapel. Tidus had found me there, which meant others must have known it was where I had been sleeping. My phone was ringing, but I ignored it, desperately searching for someplace to hide. I ended up going to the infirmary, stumbling through the doors as the world around me spun, the accumulated days of no food and even less sleep catching up to me.

I caught sight of Lady Lunafreya’s startled face as I fell forward, passing out before I hit the floor.

* * *

 “…they’ve been bullying him, sir. I tried to tell the administration, but with Headmaster Izunia missing things have been hectic.”

“This is absolutely unacceptable. I can’t believe it was going on this entire time.”

I managed to open my eyes, catching sight of Mr. Leonis speaking with Lunafreya at the end of my bed. My guardian seemed to know instantly that I had woken up, the conversation stopping instantly.

“How are you? And don’t say fine,” Mr. Leonis ordered bitterly.

“Um…good?” My voice wavered as I spoke, catching me in my lie.

The older man exhaled loudly, reflecting his frustration. “I’m taking you back to the Citadel until things…well, until this mess gets resolved.”

_This mess? Did he mean…?_

Considering Lunafreya left the room without being told, I knew he had to be referring to the photo that now occupied every square inch of space within the academy’s auditorium.

“Luna told me that Ravus has been blackmailing you. King Regis will be sure to—

“To what? I’m not royalty,” I interrupted. “What does it matter—

“It matters to His Majesty,” Mr. Leonis said swiftly.

He meant that it mattered because Prince Noctis’s name would be smeared. They would quietly remove me from the academy, making apologies to the Fleurets, and I would never see Noctis again.

I wanted to cry, but I had cried all my tears after my father had left me. Now all that remained was anger, burning to the point where it seared my chest, strangling me with every inhalation.

The short trip from the school entrance to Mr. Leonis’s car was identical to the day he dropped me off. Reports immediately swarmed around us, reminding me of a pack of killer wasps. Like before, I kept my head lowered and stepped into the small space behind him. The only thing that had changed were the questions.

“Mr. Argentum, are you dating Prince Noctis?”

“—how does King Regis feel about your relationship?”

“Sir, how does Princess Lunafreya feel about the news concerning Prince Noctis and his low-born lover?”

“Mr. Argentum, how did you and Prince Noctis first become involved with each other?”

I practically dove into the back seat when Mr. Leonis opened the door for me, resisting the urge to cower on the floorboard. Typically cool and composed, I watched as my guardian laid on the horn when the journalists refused to move out of his way, cursing up a storm.

“I swear to fucking Ifrit if you motherfuckers don’t move—” he grumbled, inching the car forward. After several more aggressive staccato beeps, the crowd dissipated enough to where he could squeeze through. The remainder of the ride wasn’t nearly as eventful. I leaned into the head rest, closing my eyes to savor the moment of quiet while I could.

Once the car slowed, I opened my eyes to gaze out the window and up at the Citadel. It was radiant, practically glowing in the morning sun. It brought to mind the first time my father and I had moved to Insomnia. I had been young, maybe five years old, and we had taken the long train ride from Niflheim through the night, fleeing from the Empire’s wrath.

My father had shaken me awake, pulling me into his lap.

“Prompto, look, you can see the Crystal from here. There,” Verstael had pointed and I followed his finger to stare in wonder at the Citadel where the sun was eclipsed by the famed Crystal of legend suspended inside its tower, shining brighter than the star that blazed in the sky. The Wall powered by His Majesty shimmered above it, and I was captivated, believing that Lucis was a magical land where we would finally be safe, and all of our dreams would come true.

Now the only thing the Citadel evoked in me was a sense of foreboding and angst.

I wondered if His Majesty and Prince Noctis were already inside. Maybe Mr. Leonis was about to take me to them, intent on making me answer for my crimes. It would make sense to place the blame on me, the son of a traitor. The royal family’s reputation would be saved, and all loose ends would be tied up as I disappeared.

Like father, like son.   

Instead, Mr. Leonis took me back to the same room I had stayed in for the past two weekends. Before opening the door, my guardian placed a hand on my shoulder. I half expected him to tell me that I was about to be taken away, never to return to the academy or Insomnia again.

“Prompto, I’m sorry.”

 _What?_ That definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. He must have noticed my confused reaction because he proceeded to explain.

“King Regis placed me in charge of you and I failed to notice you were being abused by your peers. I know you aren’t comfortable communicating with me yet, but I hope you believe me when I say that I am on your side. You can trust me with your life.”

It didn’t make any sense. What reason did King Regis have to protect the son of his enemy?

When it became evident that I wasn’t going to entertain the conversation, Mr. Leonis shook his head and pushed the door open for me.

“Stay here. I’ll be back soon.”

I flopped face down on the bed and screamed into a pillow, but it quickly devolved into sobs. By the time Mr. Leonis returned, I had exhausted myself and was on the verge of sleep. He set a bag that was clearly takeout on my bedside table, lingering awkwardly at the foot of the bed.

“Thanks, Mr. Lenois,” I murmured sleepily.

“Just call me Cor,” he corrected, leaning another object on the floor where I couldn’t see it. “I’ll let you rest. If you’re feeling up for it, we can grab dinner later.”

Whatever else he said on his way out the door was lost as I plunged into a dreamless slumber. 

I napped on and off through the afternoon, never touching the food Mr. Leonis—Cor—had brought. By the time I managed to get up and use the bathroom I had forgotten about the other item he had brought, catching my foot on the box and sending me flying into the wall.

“Fuuuuuuuck—!” I groaned miserably. What the hell was it, anyway? The box was almost as tall as I was.

With no one around to judge me, I tore the lid off the top of it enthusiastically, wondering what it could be. Maybe a lamp? A desk? Oh, a bookcase? That seemed practical.

It was absolutely nothing I could have guessed.

Sitting nestled in a bed of fabric, black as night with the exception of a star motif on the pick guard and a mother of pearl inlay in the neck, was the most beautiful guitar I had ever seen. On the body was a card, which I could only assume was left by Cor.

_Someone told me you’re a pretty decent musician. Hope you like it. – C_

“I’m not gonna cry,” I swore, even as I felt my throat closing up. I couldn’t accept this as a gift. Who knew how much it cost?

My eyes roamed up and down the body of the guitar for several minutes.

The temptation was too strong. I leaned forward to pick up the instrument, handling it like it was worth my weight in gold, then placed it in my lap to begin tuning it. I was in the midst of strumming a few chords when my stomach flipped like a fish out of water.

It was Friday, which meant tomorrow was the spring concert.

“Yuna…” I spoke her name as a whispered prayer.

How could I go back to the academy after everything that had happened? Just thinking about it made me want to throw up. What was I going to do? I had promised— _pinky_ promised.

I nearly pissed myself when Cor opened the door. My shriek must have sounded like someone was killing a chocobo with their bare hands.  

“Hey, hey, it’s just me—sorry, I should have knocked. You like your present?”

“It’s—it’s great, I really can’t accept—

“Sure, you can. You really should eat something,” Cor switched the subject as he eyed the untouched bag on the nightstand.

“Okay, I will, but…can you help me with something first?” I inquired nervously. He raised an eyebrow as I relayed my request, but didn’t give me a hard time. Once we had tracked down the phone number I needed he left to give me some privacy and I punched in the digits, praying to be directed to voicemail.

Lucky me—Yuna answered immediately.

“Hello?”

“Hey Yuna, it’s Prompto.”

“Oh, praise be to Yevon! Prompto, I was so worried. Everyone’s been talking about you… I was afraid you might not come back for the performance tomorrow.”

_Crap, think, Prompto._

“Yeah. I didn’t want you think I had forgotten you,” I sputtered, unsure where to go from there.

“I knew you wouldn’t forget, but with how hostile things have been I feared for your safety. If you didn’t want to come, I would understand.” Even as she spoke the words, I could hear the disappointment creeping in.

How many times had I said something similar to my father growing up? He never wanted to come to see my art on display, or to hear me play. Nothing had ever been good enough for him, and I soon stopped relying on him to be there for me.

In the end, I had been right not to trust him, but I didn’t want Yuna to remember me like that.

I wasn’t my father.

“No—I’ll definitely be there. I just wanted to check what time I should show up, and if I needed to wear anything special.”

I could hear her smiling through the phone when she spoke next.

“Twelve fifteen would probably be best. That will give us some time to prepare. Come to the backside of the stage in the auditorium. Do you have a black suit?”

Did I? I racked my brain, trying to remember all the clothes Cor and I had bought.

“I’m pretty sure I do,” I said, walking over to my closet to confirm.

“Great, that should be fine then. I’m looking forward to it.”

When she hung up, I took a long and measured breath. It was going to be difficult, but this was going to be my parting gift to Yuna. She deserved more than I could give her, but this would have to do.

As promised, I ate what Cor had brought, allowing my thoughts to wander as I did so. The rest of the night I spent obsessing over every last detail, preparing for my big day.

I set out all of my clothes and then packed all my remaining items neatly in their drawers. Afterwards, I showered, sitting down in my pajamas once I was clean to pen out a couple of letters using the stationary in my school bag. I wished I could convey everything I wanted to say, but I was never very good with words.

It would have to be enough.

For the first time since my father’s disappearance, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

* * *

As soon as I stepped into the academy the following day, I immediately regretted it. The sensation that everyone I passed was whispering about me was overwhelming. By the time I made it to the auditorium and slipped into the back hallway I was sweating through my black dress shirt and blazer.

The spring concert was always a well-attended event and this year was no different with students and their family members filling every seat. Royalty and politicians packed the first several rows as they were given preference. I wondered if King Regis had decided to support the event in spite of Noctis’s expulsion, but was too nervous to search the crowd for him. If I had thought of it sooner, I could have asked Cor when he brought breakfast to me that morning, but it was too late now.  

The lights had already been dimmed as the show was meant to start within the next ten minutes. I would have arrived at twelve fifteen like Yuna had asked, but had spent about ten minutes pacing in the academy driveway after Cor had driven away, debating whether to go into the building or not.

The only thing that kept me from calling him to come back and get me was the promise I had made to Yuna.

I couldn’t abandon her. I had made my choice last night, but it still felt like I was committing a giant mistake.

My anxiety was climbing to new heights they had never reached and was like a noose around my neck, threatening to asphyxiate me. I stood clutching my new guitar case’s handle like a life raft as I waited for Yuna to meet me in the hallway. Students zipped to and fro around me making last minute preparations before going onstage. Thankfully, they were too busy to wonder why Prompto Argentum was back on campus so soon after his social suicide.  

“Prompto!” I heard her exclaim. I turned in relief to greet my friend and was stunned to find Yuna wearing a black strapless dress with an empire waist, the light fabric grazing her knees as she walked. The band just below her chest was decorated with diamonds, which shone in the light every time she moved. She was truly breathtaking.

“Thank you for coming,” she said, leaning in to embrace me. I returned her hug fully this time, and was inwardly grateful for her gentle warmth. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had been this happy to see me.

“You look wonderful,” I responded, doing my best to appear cheerful for her sake.

 _Do this for her,_ I reminded myself. I had been through enough hardship—what did it matter if I added one more traumatizing experience to the pile?

“This is for you—for after the performance,” I explained while handing her an envelope.

“Oh, thank you! I don’t have anything for you,” she said apologetically. I gave her a true smile this time and saw her eyes light up.

“You’re more than enough,” I promised.

And I meant it.

Taking the stage didn’t feel real. When they announced our names, the room quieted immediately. More eyes focused on me when I walked out than on Yuna, and the guilt nearly paralyzed me.

Wasn’t she hurting her chances being here with me? I wanted to scream at them—tell them to look at her. She was the only star they should care about. I decided the best thing to do was try and ignore them.

Two spotlights separated us, but we were mere feet apart. I was thankful for the darkness that prevented me from seeing the faces that stared back at me. In the silence I could hear my own heart beating as I pulled my brand new instrument from its case, quickly tuning it although I had already checked it several times before leaving the Citadel.

_Focus, Prompto, deep breaths._

Yuna was standing at a microphone, patiently waiting for me to begin. My guitar was ready, and I positioned myself in my chair so that it was close to the microphone, but in no danger of touching it. There was a second mic near my mouth for when I would add my vocals to hers. Clearing my throat, I nodded in her direction to signal I was ready.

It was now or never. Time to give them a performance of a lifetime.

[ >> Click to listen to Yuna and Prompto’s song << ](https://youtu.be/Kq-DsCRVma0)

To calm my racing heart, I closed my eyes and pictured us stuck in our tiny cubicle in Mrs. Leonhart’s room, laughing as we bumped our knees together accidentally.

I thought of Noctis when he had said, “Dude, she’s totally into you.” My soul ached, and I began to play.

Throughout the last several weeks, Yuna’s song had been the only constant. In every situation, it had brought me back to center. Now, I could share all of my emotions with her. Being a singer, I knew she would understand what I couldn’t put into words.

My fingers moved with confidence, picking and strumming the melody that my heart had memorized. Yuna raised her voice seamlessly, our sounds intermingling in perfect harmony.

“Hands, put your empty hands in mine, and scars, show me all the scars you hide,

And hey, if your wings are broken, please take mine so yours can open too—"

When it was my time to contribute, I sang with abandon, all fear of judgement cast aside.

I had cast judgement on myself. Though the pain remained, I was free.

                             **“’Cause I’m gonna stand by you—”**

“Oh tears, make kaleidoscopes in your eyes,

And hurt, I know you’re hurting, but so am I—"

“And love, if your wings are broken,

Borrow mine so yours can open too,”

**“’Cause I’m gonna stand by you—”**

“Even if we're breaking down, we can find a way to break through—

“Oooh,” I chimed, guitar picking up.

**“Even if we can't find heaven, I'll walk through hell with you—**

**  
“Love, you're not alone, 'cause I'm gonna stand by you.”**

As we continued through the song, I lost sight of what was hers and what was mine. Our voices layered on top of each other’s, distinct, yet perfectly in sync. I poured everything I had into the words we sang, my own emotions bleeding through. 

“Yeah, you're all I never knew I needed—

And the heart, sometimes it's unclear why it's beating—”

 **“And love, if your wings are broken,**  
We can brave through those emotions too—  
'Cause I'm gonna stand by you.”

  
“Oh, truth, I guess truth is what you believe in—

“And faith, I think faith is helping to reason—  
No, no, no, love, if your wings are broken—"

“Borrow mine so yours can open too,

**'Cause I'm gonna stand by you.”**

The song was nearing its close and I lifted my head, daring to look over at Yuna. Her face was tilted up to the light, as bright as the Citadel on its first day in my memory. She was exactly what I envisioned an angel might look like. I hoped to find out one day that I was right.

Her blissful smile was what I never knew I needed, and I found myself comparing it to the ones I had seen during my time at the academy.

While Prince Noctis’s was more precious for its infrequency, hers was like a drop of water on the pond of a lake—pure, rippling outwards to touch everyone around her.

When the music finally ended, I was deafened by the sudden roar of the crowd as I set my guitar aside, squinting through the darkness to see the audience rising to their feet.

Yuna covered her face, perhaps slightly embarrassed, but mostly overjoyed by the response. She immediately came to my side, pulling me to my feet by my arm and gesturing to me. Even with my reputation in shambles, onlookers continued to cheer as we both gave a bow. The lights went up briefly to allow time for the set team to rearrange the stage for the next act.

I would have excused myself along with Yuna, but that’s when someone in the crowd caught my eye.

He was sitting in the front row beside his father, King Regis. The strength of his gaze took my breath away. I knew I shouldn’t have, but I looked into the prince’s storm cloud eyes, wishing I had the courage to tell him what I could only ever write on paper.

_I love you—I’m sorry._

King Regis had placed his hand on Noctis’s arm and was leaning in to whisper something in his ear. The prince’s face remained blank as they both promptly rose and filed out of the auditorium. My eyes rested on Noctis’s back as he walked away, ingraining the image of him in my memory as best I could. I wished for him to turn around, to say that he loved me back, but he never did.

It was foolish of me to think I would get anything less than what I deserved, which was absolutely nothing.

Once they were gone, I headed backstage where I saw that Yuna was being complimented by a group of students, each of whom were talking at her excitedly. Tidus was amongst them, but was hanging back shyly, a bouquet of flowers in one hand. Our eyes met briefly, and I nodded. He returned the gesture as I set down my guitar and slipped quietly out the door into the empty halls of the academy.

Knowing it was the last time I would walk the halls made me feel nostalgic. While the academy didn’t hold many good memories, it did hold the majority of them.

I took my time traversing the first set of steps, stopping by my old room to find it had boarded up, much like the chapel window. It was just like the academy to hide their problems rather than fix them, but that was neither here nor there.

When I got to the third floor, I made my way to Miss G’s office to slide several of the letters I had written the night before under her door. There were five total—one for each of my favorite teachers, and one for Gladio, Ignis, and Noctis. I knew she would make sure they were delivered safely into their hands.

I had already given Yuna hers.

From there I made my way to the church, only to discover that the doors had been barred and chained shut. The potion Ravus had given me was probably still on the altar where I had left it, which left me wondering how I would carry out my final plan. I stood with my head pressed to the old wood when a strange calm came over me. In the midst of the calm came the answer I sought.

When I felt that I was ready, I climbed the stairs up to the roof, my body suddenly light now that I was setting my plan in motion.

I thought back on the day Prince Noctis had fallen off the wall, making me think I had killed him, when in reality he had just been messing with me. I laughed at it now, the irony of it all. He was always there to catch me when I fell, but now he wouldn’t have to.

I could end my suffering— _our_ suffering. Maybe then, he would be free, too.

From the top of the wall I could see all of Insomnia stretched out before me. In the distance, the Citadel glistened, the shining beacon of hope I had once idolized as proof that my dreams would one day become reality.

In a sense, they _had_ come true. After Prince Noctis had been unwillingly thrust into my life, I came to know what friendship and happiness felt like—even if only for a short time. In my letter to him, I told him as much.

I wished things could have been different, but no one could change who my father had made me. My greatest fear was one day becoming the exact thing I was created to be, a weapon to be used against the crown—against my friend.

“It’s just like flying,” I said to steady myself.

Eyelids fluttering shut, I imagined the rolling applause I had heard minutes ago in the auditorium.

Then, I jumped.

.

.

.

.

The impact of hitting the ground was emphasized by the cracking of glass and bone, yet simultaneously softened by the body of another person beneath me and the loud splashing of water.

At some point in midair I had become aware of a hand in mine, while glistening fractals swirled in my vision, invoking the image of falling snow. 

Somehow, I had ended up in Leviathan’s pool, several yards in front of the academy driveway where I should have landed. Sputtering, I broke through the water gasping for air while the other person did the same, pushing me off of them as they coughed violently.

I couldn’t believe it. With hair stuck to his face and clothes clinging to his muscled form, Prince Noctis bent over the side of the fountain to vomit, expelling a large amount of water he had swallowed upon landing. I could do nothing but stare at him, open-mouthed.

How had he known where I was and what I had planned to do?

As if to answer my question, Yuna burst out of the academy doors, still wearing the dress she had worn on stage.

“Noctis! Prompto!” With fresh tears shimmering in her eyes, she proceeded to run towards us, but before she got there, Noctis pivoted to face me.

His storm cloud eyes reminded me of the first day we had met—full of fury and ready for a fight.

“What the absolute _fuck_ were you thinking!” he screamed. By now others were coming outside, curious to see what the commotion was all about.

“Noctis, I—

“No, you listen to me!” Noctis yelled. “I’m done with this shit.” He shoved a pointed finger into my chest, nearly knocking me over with his ferocity. I almost pointed out that he would’ve been done with me if he had just let me fall, but thought better of it.

Over his shoulder I could see King Regis and the Kingsglaive emerge onto the academy steps. Yuna and Noctis didn’t notice because their backs were turned, but I was painfully aware of their prying eyes.

“Noctis, please—

He did knock me over then, and I found myself up to my chest in fountain water.

“You don’t get to decide what I feel!” Noctis shouted, so loud that everyone on the steps could hear. “People have been trying to tell me my whole life what is best for me, and I’m over it! So, _what_ , you’re the son of a traitor! Who cares where you were born, or where you came from? Don’t—don’t just—leave me!”

His words were derailed by a sob that racked his entire body.

_Oh gods, what have I done?_

“I—I’m sorry, Noctis, I’m really sorry, I didn’t think—”

“Yeah, obviously!” the prince snapped, finally noticing the audience we had attracted. “You think I couldn’t like you because of who you are? You’re an idiot! Why would someone get drunk just to get up the nerve to kiss you if they didn’t like you?”

I could see King Regis cross his arms over his chest and felt my stomach drop. The flush that resulted from Noctis’s declaration must have covered every inch of visible skin on my body.

“I don’t give a shit about my reputation,” Noctis proclaimed boldly, just before he grabbed me by my soaking wet tie, pulling me in for a kiss.

A real, sober, kiss.

I knew I should have pulled away. Students were pulling out their phones to snap pictures as the Kingsglaive attempted to form a barrier to keep us from view, but instead I melted against the prince’s mouth, making me believe I might have died after all and this was all some cruel, post-death dream.

It wasn’t enough to completely erase the darkness that had taken hold of me, but it was a start.

When Noctis finally pulled away, both of us were smiling.

“Well then. We’d best be going now,” King Regis interjected awkwardly, his personal guards looking anywhere but at the two hormonal teenagers in front of them.

“He’s coming with us.” Noctis phrased it in a way that there left no doubt—he wouldn’t accept no for an answer. He had placed his hands on his hips in what was meant to be a menacing stance, but his wet clothes stuck to his body where he remained in the fountain and I couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

“Yes, my son,” His Majesty sighed in resignation. Maybe he used a cane because Prince Noctis kept taking years off of his life, I thought.

The car that pulled up was driven by a familiar face. Cracking the window slightly, Cor waved for me to join him. His Majesty gave out orders, and the Kingsglaive jumped to follow them, creating a buzz of activity. Noctis opened the car door for me, but first, I turned back to Yuna.

“I’m not sure when I’ll be back, but I owe you lunch—and an apology,” I said, knowing I might never restore her trust in me.

To my surprise, Yuna wrapped her arms around me in response, pulling me close.

“Prompto—I’m merely happy you’re alive.”

It was as if I were seeing the sun for the first time in weeks after being trapped in never ending night. Something inside me broke, and I knew I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. There was a lot of healing that needed to be done, but then and there I made the decision to live.

After all, I mused as Noctis ushered me into the backseat, I now had someone in my life who would always be there to catch me if I fell.  

We sat shoulder to shoulder, the prince wrapping his arm around me as Cor pulled away, the fountain of Leviathan disappearing behind us like it had countless times before. I wasn’t used to the level of intimacy Noctis was displaying—from anyone, let alone someone I liked—and I found myself focusing on the back of the seat in front of me, face beat red.

“I punched Ravus,” Noctis said proudly as Cor pulled onto the main thoroughfare. The legendary warrior raised his eyebrows at the prince in the rearview mirror.  

“Again?” I wondered, horrified.

“No, he punched _me_ last time. This was just to get even. Then I told him never to bother you again or I’d kill him— and make his sister my wife.”

I blinked and he nudged me lightly with his shoulder. Cor chuckled, but didn’t comment.

“I wouldn’t actually marry Luna. That’d be like marrying my sister,” he explained quickly. He never said he wouldn’t kill Ravus though, and although it was a little alarming, I laid my head to rest on the prince’s shoulder with a smile.

We shared a few minutes of silence before Noctis broke it again.

“Ignis and Gladio are going to be pissed, I’m just warning you.” It was obvious he was holding himself back from saying more, and I was grateful. I wasn’t ready for lectures just yet.

“…are you sure about this?” I asked as we parked in front of the palace, Cor getting out first.

“No, but we’re going to figure it out together,” he promised, the sun’s rays falling on his face as the car door opened. “Just do me a favor—don’t jump off of anymore buildings, my body can’t take much more of it.”

Beneath the humor I could tell there was the very real fear he had that I might do something like this again.

“I promise,” I said firmly, envisioning the stained-glass windows of the Six in the academy’s chapel as I made my vow.

With an air of solemnity, I reached to take his hand, stepping into the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 16 Songs:  
> “Stand by You” by Alex Goot – the song performed by Prompto and Yuna at the spring concert  
> “Breaking Free” by Sam Tsui  
> “Defying Gravity” by Caleb Hyles


	17. Epilogue: A Fresh Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto begins to see the light after years of living in darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find the complete soundtrack for this fanfiction on Spotify, titled "Insomnian Academy for the Elite."

It wasn’t easy transitioning to living in the Citadel full time, but very few things that are worthwhile ever are. In the months that passed following my suicide attempt, I was surrounded by an army of people who supported me. If I was being honest, for someone who was used to being alone, it was overwhelming. Sometimes, I didn’t want their help, but I was learning to accept it more and more.

King Regis had two stipulations to me staying in the palace. The first was that I be seen by a psychiatrist and begin to receive counseling for my depression, the darkness I had been reluctant to give a name to. The second was that if Noctis and I were to pursue a romantic relationship, that I begin to receive formal training at the palace and allow bodyguards to accompany us on any and all outings. No more secret missions that could put either of us in danger. Noctis had stood next to me when His Majesty had come to my room to tell me his terms in person, and I had accepted without protest.

A week after that, I had told Noctis that yes, I did have a ridiculous crush on him, but I wanted to go slow and focus on myself for a while. A lot had happened during the semester, and the last thing I wanted to do was rush head first into a relationship with the crown prince without any regard for the repercussions it might cause. He had grinned, then shoved me so I had temporarily lost balance—but I didn’t fall.

“Good. It’s about time you were a little selfish,” he had said. (My therapist agreed.)

The media attention did eventually die down, although we still found cameras being shoved in our faces if we ventured outside of the Citadel walls. Cor did everything he could to discourage the more aggressive journalists, and eventually they learned to keep their distance, but we became especially vigilant to look out for paparazzi, especially when news broke that Lady Lunafreya and Ravus were leaving the academy to return to Tenebrae. They denied that it had anything to do with me or Prince Noctis, but even I had my doubts. All talks of Noctis marrying the princess stopped, at least temporarily, and King Regis let reporters ask their insensitive questions while giving no answers.

It was due to rising political tension and my mental state that King Regis placed me officially under his protective custody and withdrew me from the academy on medical leave. With my father and the headmaster still missing, I wouldn’t have been able to afford continuing to go to school anyway. While the king did bring up an official grievance of bullying to the administration, it was never pursued due to ‘lack of evidence.’ Part of me believed that His Majesty had somehow handled the situation on his own though, for it wasn’t soon after he was told that nothing could be done that Ravus and Lunafreya announced their departure from Lucis.

I knew based off of what Cor told me that the Kingsglaive were actively searching for Verstael and Ardyn. After Noctis and I had time to sit down with His Majesty and explain everything in detail, it became clear to everyone involved in the investigation that they had been more than just business associates, but co-conspirators. It was a couple weeks into the end-of-semester break when Cor told me over breakfast that the two had been spotted in Niflheim together, confirming the crown’s suspicions. My guardian sat at the table in the apartment we now shared as he poured us both a cup of coffee, the TV flashing a blurred picture of the men leaving a train in Gralea together. I couldn’t say I was surprised to hear about my father and the former headmaster, but apparently it had made the news in Insomnia, sparking an entirely new round of speculation from the public.

The nights grew longer and the days hotter as summer overtook Lucis. I passed my time reading, taking photos, and practicing guitar when I wasn’t in therapy or in private lessons given by one of the tutors that had been assigned to me. Every weekend, Yuna came to visit—those days were my favorite. Sometimes we sat in my room and talked, but most of the time we sang together. She would bring sheet music for me to practice all week, then we would perform it when she came back, repeating the cycle all over again.

It was nearing time for school to start back up again for the second quarter, and we had just finished a particularly difficult piece that we both struggled with when she had placed her hands in her lap and looked out the window of my room absently.

“What is it?” I asked. We had grown so comfortable with each other that we could pick up on each other’s moods without speaking, and I could tell something was off.

She looked to me then, and I was surprised to find tears in her eyes. Setting the guitar Cor had bought me aside, I placed my hand on her arm, eyebrows furrowing in concern.

“I’m going to miss this when I go to Altissia,” she said. When we first started having our jam sessions, she had mentioned applying to the Altissian Academy of the Arts. Mrs. Leonhart had given her the same brochure she had given me and Yuna told me she had submitted her application just prior to the spring show.

“You got in? Yuna, that’s great!” I gushed in spite of the sadness I felt. She nodded, but lowered her head to avoid looking at me. “Hey, hey, none of that. I’m happy for you, really. See!” I squeezed her hand and gave her my most winning smile, something that was coming more naturally to me recently. “What does the boyfriend think?” I teased.

Yuna blushed, a rare sight. She and Tidus had started dating right after I had left the academy. Occasionally he would drop her off or pick her up when she came to see me, and we had developed a probationary friendship.

“He’s not happy, but he supports me.” After a slight pause, she said, “Prompto, you should think about applying.”    

It wasn’t like I hadn’t thought about it. I could maybe work something out with King Regis, get him to sponsor me, or give me a loan—but I knew in my heart that I wasn’t ready to be on my own again—not yet. All of my friends were in Insomnia, and their strength was what got me through the day. I knew Yuna would always be there for me, but I couldn’t justify following her.

“Maybe next year,” I replied gently. She knew my reasons and I didn’t push the issue. Her dew drop smile ended the conversation, and we spent the rest of our session playing familiar songs, resting in each other’s presence.

The best part of my time in the Citadel, however, was seeing Ignis, Gladio, and Noctis on a regular basis. I saw some combination of the three every day. Ignis insisted on bringing me food he had made for me to try at several points throughout the week, then would tell me something interesting he had learned or seen while I gulped down whatever tasty treat he had brought. Gladio dragged me out to train whenever he had a spare moment, telling me I couldn’t let my skills get rusty just because I was living the ‘royal life.’ While I dreaded hand-to-hand grappling, he compromised by taking me to the Citadel’s shooting range and watching in amazement as I nailed every target.

“Huh, I thought it was just a fluke, but you’re actually good!” the older boy had exclaimed on one such outing.

“Hey, what do you mean ‘actually’ good?” I demanded while he laughed.

Oftentimes the three of us would go out to dinner, or karaoke—my favorite. I would bring along the camera Noctis had convinced his father to buy for me and snap pictures of everything, not wanting to forget a single moment. Several of the photographs I had taken were now framed on the wall above my bed. My current favorite was one of Gladio slurping down an entire Cup of Noodles while Ignis and Noctis made horrified faces in the background.

Noctis, of course, texted me nonstop. Every morning when I woke up, my phone would buzz (usually an hour or so later).

_Good morning chocobutt._

_Morning, your highness ;)_

_Wanna grab lunch after my lame ass tutoring session?_

_Sure, but you’re buying._

_It’s a date then._

Our messages went back and forth throughout the day and long into the night. He was the first thing I thought of when I woke up, and the last thing I thought of when I went to sleep. It was nice—being in love, and with Noctis, it never felt like work. He wanted me to be myself, even though I wasn’t sure what that looked like. Knowing I wouldn’t ever ask outright, the prince made it his mission to take me somewhere new whenever we hung out.

“You never got stuff as a kid because of your dad, so now’s the time to figure out what you like,” he explained, his justification for our crazy excursions.

We tried everything, from arcades to fishing, a past time that he loved (and I hated). I didn’t mind though, because it meant he wanted to spend time with me. Eventually we would forget about the bodyguards trailing us at a respectful distance, and our lives settled into a pleasant rhythm of getting to know one another without the pressure of politics or the academy to impede us.

The second semester did eventually start though, in spite of the fact that the academy was looking to hire a new full time headmaster. This obviously meant my friends weren’t around as much, which made my time in the Citadel less exciting.

It was the first Friday after school resumed, and I was waiting patiently in my bedroom for Gladio and Ignis to come over. Noctis had arranged for all of them to come pick me up in a car after school let out. I wasn’t sure where we were going, but it didn’t matter to me so long as I was with them.

My phone chimed as I was pulling on a t-shirt and I glanced down to read the text from Gladio.

_We’re outside._

“Hey Cor, I’m going,” I yelled. He had jumped in the shower after getting home from work, but I had told him earlier about my plans to go out.

“All right, check in later!” he responded over the rushing of the water.

Grabbing my wallet, phone, and keys, I shoved them into the pockets of my jeans and ran out to where a black car with tinted windows was waiting in front of the apartment building. The window rolled down as I walked up, revealing Ignis in the driver’s seat and Gladio in the front.

“Jump in, loser, we’re having a party.” Gladio flashed his shark grin, which guaranteed trouble.

I got quickly into the back with Noctis, Ignis graciously waiting for me to fasten my seatbelt before driving away.

“What do you mean a party?” I questioned, remembering the last party Gladio had thrown.

“We figured you might want to experience a party that wasn’t being thrown as part of a crazy plan to get me expelled,” Noctis answered. “Also, you were in the infirmary during Gladio’s birthday this year and he wanted to wait until you had recovered so you could be there,” he explained.

“Which time was that?” I wondered, thinking back.

“I believe it was after Ravus cursed you,” Ignis offered helpfully.

“That long ago? You really didn’t have to wait,” I said, feeling bad that they had put it off.

“Oh, trust me, you’re going to make up for it. I’ve come up with a whole new version of One-Two Punch. I think I’m going to rename it Argentum Juice in your honor,” Gladio laughed, leering at me over his shoulder. 

“Hey, that’s _my_ boyfriend you’re looking at. Keep your eyes on yours, won’t you?” Noctis grumbled. Gladio reached to slip a hand onto Ignis’s thigh, which he swatted away without looking down.

“It’s not wise to distract the driver. You may find yourself in a ditch somewhere,” Ignis commented as he adjusted his glasses.

Shortly after I had come to the Citadel, Ignis had baked a cake for me and brought it to my room. When I asked him what it was for, he said it was to apologize for not confiding in me sooner.

“I knew of Noctis’s feelings for you. They were plain as day—to everyone excluding yourself, of course. I recognized all the signs, because I had experienced something similar myself. Perhaps if I had opened up earlier, you wouldn’t have put yourself in such a precarious position.” I listened as the smartest, most put-together person I knew, divulged his own insecurities to me. It was a humbling moment.  

“My parents left me in the care of my uncle when I was only a child to go on an extended business trip on the king’s behalf, but they never returned from their mission. To this day, I still do not know what happened to them. I, too, have struggled with feelings of despair and abandonment. When Gladiolus confessed his feelings for me, I initially shut him out. I thought there was no way it could work between us, that a relationship with the future King’s Shield was too risky. My devotion to my position as Prince Noctis’s advisor took precedence over everything. I believed it was what my parents would have wanted for me.” He looked down at his hands, running one finger over a knuckle ridge absently.

Unbeknownst to me, I leaned forward, on the edge of my seat.  

“Gladio is nothing if not persistent, however. I made my excuses year after year, and he did everything he could to attract my attention, often to his own detriment,” Ignis said, a hint of ire in his tone. 

I remembered the argument I had literally stumbled into the night I had been drunk. So Gladio’s hands _had_ been on Ignis’s waist.   

“It wasn’t until we learned of Noctis’s feelings for you that I decided if our prince was willing to take a risk, so was I. Gladio had tried to tell me, but your struggle is what truly convinced me to take a chance on him. Thank you for your bravery, Prompto. It means everything to me.”

Who was he to call me brave? He had never once given up on me, even when I had tried to push him and Gladio away. I should have been thanking him.  

“I’m glad we’re friends,” I blubbered, forcing back tears.

Ignis’s lips curled upwards, pleased. “Without further ado—cake?”

I thought back on that memory fondly while Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio picked on one another good naturedly. It had grown darker by the time we reached the Amicitia family estate on the edge of the city. I could hear the music bumping from inside the car as we pulled around the circular driveway, several cars already parked along the curb. It looked like there was already a sizeable crowd of people assembled, with some people I recognized mingling on the steps, red cups in hand.

“This looks big,” I commented nervously.

“Well, of course it is, it’s my birthday bash—and your homecoming,” Gladio said off handedly, jumping out before Ignis had pulled completely to a stop.

“You know I despise when you do that,” Ignis huffed. Gladio lowered his head to Ignis’s ear to whisper something to him as our driver swung his door open.

It was the first time I had seen Ignis blush.

“My homecoming?” I questioned as Noctis and I unbuckled our seatbelts to get out. _Did Mr. Amicitia know about this party? I highly doubted it._

“Yeah, you know— Gladio gestured vaguely. “For coming home. Like, to us.”

“You have such a way with words,” Noctis quipped as the four of us began to walk towards the wide open front door, people moving in and out of it freely. 

“Kindly shut the fuck up your highness, it’s my birthday.” Noctis made a rude motion with his hands and Gladio rolled up his sleeves, cracking his knuckles. Before I knew what was happening, Noctis had warped inside and Gladio was barreling after him, yelling out boisterous ‘hellos’ to party guests as he went.

“And to think, they haven’t even consumed a single libation yet. Perhaps we should get a head start?” Liking Ignis’s suggestion, we meandered into the large home, which was a step up from all the apartments I had seen.

Vaulted ceilings gave the interior a spacious, open feel, and I could see people leaning against the wooden spiral banister that lined the staircase to a large landing overlooking the entire living room. It seemed guests had deemed the upper level the dance floor, and I spied a thick throng of bodies moving together to the beat of the music blaring over the speakers. Off of the living room was a kitchen that took up nearly half of the first floor, with top of the line stainless steel appliances and a tasteful black and white backsplash. Judging from the number of bottles arranged neatly on the counter, it was sure to be a wild night.

Ignis headed straight for the kitchen and I followed, waving to a few people who greeted us. My bespectacled friend poured me a small cup of a green liquid out of a large punch bowl, winking at me knowingly as he clinked his glass to mine.

“To you,” he toasted.

“To friends,” I amended, both of us downing it in one swallow.

“Gods, that is awful,” Ignis coughed. “Another?” Laughing, I nodded as he reached for the ladle, finding that a pair of arms were wrapping around me from behind as I watched Ignis. I squirmed, taking note of all the people who looked our way as Noctis placed his chin on my shoulder.

“Manage to escape from Gladio?” I inquired, raising one eyebrow. The prince chose to change the subject.

“Can you dance?” he asked innocently.

“As well as a baby chocobo can fly,” I retorted with a snort.

“Great. Pour me one of those and let’s go,” Noctis urged with a grin. Ignis had barely placed the drinks in our hands before the prince was tugging me towards the stairs. Frantic, I hurried to finish my second drink by the time we reached the top.

I had been worried about looking foolish in front of people, but quickly learned that no one was looking at us. Noctis found an empty space amongst the bodies and pulled me close, the two of us swaying to the rhythm. He wasn’t as musically inclined as I was, and I couldn’t help but laugh when he ended up stepping on my feet.

At some point in the night between songs, I looked around Noctis and caught sight of Yuna and Tidus dancing, my heart soaring to see my other closest friend in attendance. She smiled back fully, and we shared another instant of unspoken understanding.

I did end up getting drunk—Gladio somehow roped me into taking ‘birthday shots’ with him, but I took my friend’s advice this time and paced myself. With the world tilting pleasantly around me, Noctis remained my rock, never straying from my side even long after the guests had left.

We had curled together on the couch and were watching the sun rise through the front foyer window, empty cups and beer bottles perched on every surface, my head pressed to Prince Noctis’s chest. Gladio and Ignis were entangled on the couch across from us, Gladio’s mouth was open and emitted a soft snore, while Ignis’s glasses were askew where his face rested peacefully against the bigger boy’s shoulder.

If Noctis hadn’t caught me I would have missed all of this, I thought.

“My father was able to get my expulsion reversed now that Ravus and Luna are gone,” Noctis murmured gently. “…if you were feeling well enough, we could go back to school,” he explained.

The thought of returning to the academy sparked an irrational fear in me. Noctis squeezed me in his arms as if to remind me he was still there, and it made me feel marginally better.

“Only if you want to. Of course—you would need to be my roommate again. Otherwise I’d never make it class on time,” he chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood. His words had me smiling.

“Yeah, you’re right. You wouldn’t make it without me,” I boasted, not expecting him to take me too seriously.

“I promise I won’t let you fall,” he said, so quietly I almost didn’t hear him. “Ever,” he added when I tilted my head up at him.

“I know,” I responded. He tilted his head downward and our lips met. 

I knew that if he stood by me, I could do anything—even fly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue Songs:  
> “Better With You” by Jesse McCartney – perfectly captures my Promptis <3  
> “That’s Just the Way We Roll” by Jonas Brothers – the Chocobros partying  
> “We’ll Be Alright” by Travie McCoy  
> “Oath” by Cher Lloyd – Noctis to Prompto  
> “Stand by Me” by Greg Adams - it wouldn’t be FFXV without this song. I love this acoustic version.


	18. Author's Update 01.26.2020

Hello all!

I am going back through some of my old fics to do major edits, and I will be focusing my attention on this series to hopefully make it better than before! I will post the new updated version in chapter updates.

When it is finished, I may end up taking this fic down so I encourage everyone to download it for their records if they want to keep this version as is.

Thank you for your support!

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:  
> Feedback
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * Constructive criticism
>   * “<3” as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
> 

> 
> [LLF Comment Builder](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/post/170952243543/now-presenting-the-llf-comment-builder-beta)
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> If you enjoyed my story, please drop a comment! Also, check out the sequel to this fanfiction: "Insomnia High School." 
> 
> The night I wrote chapter 16 I stayed up until two am because it took waaaaaay longer than I thought it would. My fic actually started out as the final scene on the rooftop in my head and then I wrote fifteen chapters leading up to it. I have personally dealt with depression and anxiety, and have several friends who have dealt with mental health issues and suicide. This is devoted to all the people still fighting the darkness. You are stronger than you realize, and there is an army behind you, ready to show you the light. 
> 
> Walk tall, my friends.


End file.
